London has imposed a temporary ban on the export of Rembrandt van Rijn’s “Portrait of Catrina Hoogsat” (1657), valuing the work at £71.7 million ($97.2 million). This makes the work the most expensive art object ever to receive such protection in the United Kingdom.
The ban will remain in effect until December 26. During this time, British museums and private foundations must raise the required amount to purchase the masterpiece from its current owner and prevent its permanent removal from the country. Minister for Culture, Media, and Sport Ruth Mackenzie emphasized that the painting has been a part of the nation’s cultural life for centuries and called on patrons to help preserve its historical place.
The painting, depicting a wealthy Protestant Mennonite woman from Amsterdam, has been in the UK since the mid-18th century. In 2015, it was sold at Sotheby’s, and the most recent private sale, brokered by Christie’s, prompted the current ban. Dealer Otto Naumann estimates the work’s market value at approximately $150 million, double the official estimate.
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