Government issues ban to keep £4.4m Titian drawing in UK

A rare Titian drawing worth £4.4m has been issued with a temporary export ban by the Government to try and keep it in the country.

Culture Minister Matt Hancock today ordered the ban on the Study of a Kneeling Man, which is one of only nine Titian works in the UK, after its current owner applied to take it overseas.

It is understood the Government is keen to find a home for it in a London museum, with the British Museum considered a natural fit.

Mr Hancock said: “This drawing provides us with a rare sight of one of Titian’s lost works of art. It is of outstanding significance to the study of Titian, and I hope that we are able to keep it in the country to learn more about one of the greatest artists of the 16th century.”

The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA).

Unless a UK buyer can be found to match the price of £4.4 million (plus VAT of £81,400) it will go overseas.

Experts believe the chalk drawing was a preparatory work for the first version of Pentecost, which was a painting commissioned for the church of Santo Spirito in Isola in Venice in 1529.

By 1543 the paint had already begun peeling from his work and when the monks complained, Titian removed the original version and painted another from scratch. The original Pentecost has never been found.

RCEWA member Aidan Weston-Lewis said the chalk drawing is a precious example of Titian’s work which is not otherwise represented in British art collections.

British buyers have until December 19 to register their interest but this may be extended until spring if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made.