Tate has acquired a valuable portrait by Joshua Reynolds depicting the fifth Earl of Carlisle. Dating from 1769, it shows Frederick Howard at the age of 20, with his beloved dog Rover at his feet. The picture has descended in the family and has always hung in Castle Howard, their mansion in North Yorkshire (the filmed setting in Brideshead Revisited). The picture has been accepted by the government in lieu of inheritance tax due of £4.7m, although its open-market value would be significantly higher. Arts Council England, which administers the scheme, has now allocated the portrait to Tate.
The portrait by Reynolds will remain on view in Castle Howard, which is open to visitors except for four months over the winter. But Tate is now the legal owner of the painting and is responsible for ensuring its proper care. Tate will periodically show the work at Tate Britain and will decide on possible loans elsewhere.