UK Blocks Export Of $97 Million Rembrandt Painting

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The United Kingdom government has temporarily barred the export of Rembrandt van Rijn's 1657 masterpiece, Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet, which is valued at £71.7 million ($97.4 million). The decision, made on Thursday, designates the painting a“national treasure” and calls upon U.K. cultural institutions to raise funds to keep the work within the country.

The portrait was commissioned in 1657 and depicts Catrina Hooghsaet, an affluent member of Amsterdam's Mennonite community who lived separately from her husband. Rembrandt portrayed her in a black dress and white cap adorned with pearls, holding a handkerchief, and facing a parakeet.

An unidentified owner had applied for an export license for the artwork. The government's export deferral is initially set through December 26, with a required matching price for a qualifying British buyer of £71,696,324.90, plus £754,698.15 in VAT.

Arts Minister Ruth Mackenzie emphasized the painting's significance.“The Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet has been part of the U.K.'s cultural life for centuries,” Mackenzie stated.“The scale, beauty, and history of this masterpiece make it a priority for cultural partners, funders, philanthropists, and lovers of Rembrandt to help this masterpiece keep its historical place in the U.K.”

The government announcement revealed that Christie's brokered a private sale of the painting in 2025. Previously, Sotheby's sold the work privately in 2015 for £35 million ($47.5 million) to an anonymous overseas collector. That collector later withdrew an export application and loaned the painting to the National Museum Cardiff from 2016 to 2019.

A spokesperson for Christie's confirmed the 2025 sale, noting it was brokered by Andrew Fletcher, who joined the auction house in 2022 after 20 years at Sotheby's. Market sources have suggested the seller may be Rosaline Wong, an influential market-maker known for working with top Asian collectors and lending works to institutions. Christie's declined to identify the seller or buyer or to disclose the sale price, which could differ from the government's valuation. Old Master dealer Otto Naumann estimated the Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet could be worth around $150 million.

Regarding the export bar, Naumann commented,“They'll never going to be able to stop it at that level.”

Rembrandt's auction record is held by his 1658 work, Portrait of a Man With Arms Akimbo, which sold for $33.3 million (approximately $51.8 million today) at Christie's in 2009. The highest publicly reported price for a single Rembrandt painting is €175 million ($198 million) for The Standard Bearer, acquired from the Rothschild family in 2022.

Source: Artnet News

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