The government of Great Britain introduced a three-month ban on the export of Raphael’s drawing

A Renaissance drawing bought at auction for nearly £ 30 million is prohibited from leaving the UK.

“Head of a Young Apostle”, the famous Italian artist Raphael, has been in the UK for nearly 300 years.

In recent years, the drawing was in a private collection at Chatsworth House, the estate of the Duke of Devonshire in Derbyshire. In December, at a Sotheby’s auction in London, a foreign buyer paid £ 29.7 million ($ 47.8 million) for the drawing, which is almost three times the estimated cost. In addition, such a price was a record for works performed on paper, each square inch of the work, thus, costs about 200,000 pounds. Four bidders fought for him for 17 minutes. After the decisive bet was made by phone, the auction hall burst into applause.

On April 3, 2013, the UK government imposed a three-month ban on exporting the drawing, stating that it was of outstanding cultural significance to the country. After such a decision, it was hoped that British museums or galleries could find the necessary means to preserve a work of art for the nation.

“The Head of the Young Apostle” dates from about 1519 and was made by Raphael during the work on the painting “Transfiguration”, which remained incomplete due to the death of the great artist. Today, the painting is on display at the Vatican Museum.

Minister of Culture Ed Vaizey, who imposed a temporary ban on export on the recommendation of the committee for the export of works of art and objects of cultural interest, said: “I hope that [this] time will be enough to find a buyer within the country and leave this magnificent example of Raphael’s work for the nation. ”

As historians suggest, the drawing belonged to Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, back in the early 17th century and was acquired from him by William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire, about 300 years ago. Currently, the duke has sold it in order to invest the proceeds in the reconstruction of the Chatsworth estate.

The ban on the export of Raphael’s drawing can be extended until January if there is a clear prospect of a British buyer. All this time, the “Head of the Apostle” will remain in a specialized repository.

Last year, the Eshmolov Museum in Oxford acquired the Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus by Eduard Manet so that he would not be sold to an overseas buyer for £ 28.4 million.

An impressionist masterpiece, written in 1868, was purchased after an eight-month fundraising campaign. Donations were made by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund and more than 1,000 individuals.

Now in the UK they are considering several options for buying out Raphael’s drawing, including through private sale mechanisms.