Rare Renaissance Painting Secured for UK

The Ashmolean Museum, an institution affiliated with the University of Oxford, has successfully acquired a rare Italian Renaissance painting. The museum secured the 1420s crucifixion artwork by artist Fra Angelico for £4.48 million, having raised nearly £4.5 million for its purchase. This artwork had resided in a private British collection for over two centuries before its sale to an international buyer, which placed it in danger of departing the UK. Consequently, an export prohibition was imposed on the piece in January, preventing its removal from the country and granting Oxford University a nine-month period to gather the necessary funds for its acquisition. Dr. Xa Sturgis, the director of the Ashmolean Museum, commented that securing the funds by the October 29 deadline to acquire such an “important work” represented a “really exciting moment” for the staff. He characterized the painting, titled The Crucifixion With the Virgin, Saint John The Evangelist And The Magdalen, as both “very beautiful” and “very moving.” This piece is considered to be Fra Angelico’s earliest extant painting. Dr. Sturgis noted that the crucifixion was a theme the artist “painted again and again throughout his career.” He further elaborated, “With this picture, he sets the way in which he approaches the subject and so it’s an exciting picture because it’s a young artist at the beginning of his career.” The museum, which offers free admission, also possesses another painting from the later stages of Fra Angelico’s career, allowing visitors to observe the evolution of his artistic style over his lifetime. This acquisition will serve as a teaching tool for Oxford undergraduates in disciplines such as history, art history, and theology. Additionally, it will join the collection of artworks presented to over 40,000 schoolchildren annually. “They are a collection that essentially belongs to the nation and to the public,” stated Dr. Sturgis. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.