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UK government places export bar on £71m Rembrandt portrait

The deferral gives UK institutions time to raise funds for the $71 million painting, which officials say meets national treasure criteria.

  • The DCMS has placed an export bar on a Rembrandt painting valued at £71 million, designating it 'the most expensive object ever to be given national treasure status.'
  • Meeting all three Waverly criteria, the painting earned a recommendation from the Reviewing Committee for the export block. Chairman Andrew Hochhauser cited its 'outstanding aesthetic importance' and insights into the Dutch Republic.
  • This marks the second time the painting faced an export block; it was previously sold in 2015 for £35 million, after which the owner loaned the work to the National Museum Wales in Cardiff for three years.
  • The export bar initially expires on December 26, after which owners have 15 business days to consider offers at the recommended price, followed by a potential nine-month deferral period.
  • Arts Minister Ruth Mackenzie urged cultural partners and philanthropists to help 'keep its historical place in the UK,' stating that the portrait's scale and history make preserving the masterpiece a priority.
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18 Articles

Lean Right

A very precious Rembrandt painting must not leave Britain. This is the rule of the country's government. The export ban is valid until the end of the year. Until then, a buyer must be found.

Lean Right

The British government has imposed a temporary export ban on a painting by the famous Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn. The Ministry of Culture is attempting to prevent the painting from leaving the country. It concerns the portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet, painted in 1657. According to the Ministry of Culture, the painting has an estimated value equivalent to nearly 83 million euros. The work, which holds national heritage status in the United Kin…

·Hilversum, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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Lean Left

The portrait, painted in 1657 by the great Flemish master, represents an affluent woman from Amsterdam, Catrina Hooghsaet.

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Lean Left

Rembrandt's «Portrait of the Catrina Hooghsaet» is one of the Dutch painter's "extraordinary late works" for the British government. An export ban should now help to keep the artwork in the country.

·Hamburg, Germany
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Right

London has imposed a temporary export ban on a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). The Ministry of Culture wants to prevent "the national treasure" from going abroad. The artwork from 1657 has an estimated value of 83 million euros.

·Amsterdam, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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Algemeen DagbladAlgemeen Dagblad
+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Center

London has imposed a temporary export ban on a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). The Ministry of Culture wants to prevent ‘the national treasure’ from going abroad. The artwork from 1657 has an estimated value of 83 million euros.

·Rotterdam, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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  • 46% of the sources lean Right
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The Art Newspaper broke the news on Friday, August 28, 2026.
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