The Executive Council of the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts meeting today 9th June, 2015, issued the following statement:
In regard to the current decision of the Trustees of the Beit Collection to consign for auction a number of paintings, the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts wishes to express its commitment to international best practice that collections should not be disposed of to support operating expenses. The paintings by Rubens, Teniers, Van Ostade and Guardi are of substantial quality and their sale would represent a very significant loss to the public.
It is regrettable that the Trustees thought it necessary to take this course of action and that more time was not afforded to public debate on the issues surrounding the decision and to explore other avenues that could address the Trustees challenges without recourse to de-accessioning artwork held in trust for the nation.
