> On 11/7/05, Julia Moore <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> > Assume that "Jacob Brown" of England had a painting of one of his
> > ancestors that was painted by Gainsborough.  If he were to sell the
> > painting today to an American collector (not likely, but 
> let's pretend),
> > the English government would most likely not allow it to leave the
> > country.
> 
> This somewhat irks me. 

Don't be irked. It isn't true. Or at best it is a half-truth. The government can't stop people selling their property. What it can do is put a _temporary_ export ban on an item to allow a _limited_ time for a public institution (or group of institutions) to match the selling price and put the item in a public collection. Remember that this only happens for a tiny minority of pieces, and if no institution is willing or able to match the price the original sale goes ahead. And believe me these things tend to be so expensive that they certainly don't go into a store-room! It wouldn't matter, though, if the piece in question were a Gainsborough or a Caravaggio.

Best wishes

Pete
-- 
Peter M Gray
Museums Officer
East Lothian Council 


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