After Tom Hill, the New York buyer of Pontormo’s Portrait of a Young Man in a Red Cap (1530), declined to accept the matching offer made by the National Gallery for the painting last October, he is now required to keep the work in the UK for at least ten years. He could, however, apply for a temporary export licence to send it abroad.
Last month, Hill’s spokeswoman told The Art Newspaper: “More than one British institution has been in touch concerning the possibility of the Pontormo being available for loan. He has also received approaches from a number of international museums and galleries.”
Although the National Gallery is not requesting a loan, we have learned that the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge wants to borrow the portrait. Timothy Knox, the director, told us that the Fitzwilliam is “very interested” if it is available. “I think everyone would like to see it on public display, rather than languishing in store”, he says.
Gabriele Finaldi, the National Gallery director, is concerned that refusals to accept matching offers are thwarting the UK’s export regulations for works of art, saying that “the export procedure could be improved”.