An extraordinarily rare painting depicting the nativity is at risk of leaving the country unless a UK buyer can be found to save the work for the nation and enable additional study.
To protect the painting from this risk, an export bar has been placed by the Government, enabling researchers to better understand the work within a British context given its significant history.
Worth over £460,000, The Nativity by Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi is one of a few surviving paintings by the artist and is particularly notable for its daring use of dark tonalities and its dramatic side lighting, pre-empting works by highly influential artists such as Raphael and Parmigianino.
The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). The RCEWA agreed that this was an extraordinarily rare painting, noting that few works by Peruzzi survived and almost none were outside Italy.
A highly-esteemed and versatile artist, Peruzzi’s talents ranged from theatre design to architecture, with this piece…
