Explore the Acquisition by the National Portrait Gallery and the Getty Museum about the History of this artwork, Portrait of Omai.
In 2022 the portrait, now valued at £50 million, was at risk of leaving the UK once again and was again placed under a 12 month export bar. The rationale for the new valuation was unclear, being nearly five times the previous valuation of £10.7 million, and being untested at auction since. However, as the broadcaster and art dealer Philip Mould noted, such a valuation could be justified against a declining market in eighteenth century art thanks to the unusual diversity of the painting's subject; saying "it is hard to put a price on such a rare full-length portrait of a man of colour." Mould's brother, also an expert in British Old Masters, had been responsible for the new £50 million valuation.The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) organised a funding campaign to purchase the painting, receiving backing from the Art Fund (£2.5 million – the largest single contribution the Fund had made in its 120 year existence), National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) (£10 million), and over 1400 private donors. In an effort to secure more funding, the Gallery began discussions with the Getty Museum in Los Angeles for the possibility of a joint acquisition, with the painting being shared between the institutions. However, such an agreement could complicate promises of funding from the NHMF, who had allocated money on the basis of a sole UK purchase.An open letter from leading academics in the field was published in the Financial Times in June 2022 in support of the retention of the portrait in the UK. This was followed by a similarly supportive column in The Guardian by the author and historian, and NPG trustee, Simon Sebag Montefiore in March 2023.In March 2023, the export bar expired, with only about half the necessary funding secured, and negotiations with the Getty ongoing. It was then extended by three months, to June 2023, to allow negotiations between the NPG and the Getty to continue. The director of the NPG had approached the UK Government for a direct Treasury grant without success, however, the new chair of the NHMF signalled their support for continued efforts to maintain public access to the painting, even if it required a novel resolution.On 31 March 2023, the NPG and the Getty announced a plan to "to jointly acquire and share ownership” of the portrait, in “a new model of international collaboration”. UK Arts Minister Stephen Parkinson, Baron Parkinson of Whitley Bay, said that the two museums are "closing in on finalising a deal" with the NPG still needing to raise under £1 million and the final technical intricacies of the deal to be ironed out.On 25 April 2023, the two galleries confirmed their successful acquisition of the portrait which was renamed Portrait of Mai (Omai), to reflect the true name of the subject.Possession of the portrait is expected to alternate between the NPG in London and the Getty in Los Angeles; the NPG intends to make it the centrepiece of its post-refurbishment reopening in June 2023. The portrait will be displayed at the Getty for the first time in 2026 with the portrait exhibited in Los Angeles while the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games.
Arts Minister National Portrait Gallery Stephen Parkinson, Baron Parkinson of Whitley Bay Los Angeles Getty Museum Simon Sebag Montefiore 2028 Olympic Games Omai Art Fund London National Heritage Memorial Fund Financial Times Philip Mould The Guardian