Russborough House trustees to attend emergency meeting

The trustees who run Russborough House in Co Wicklow are due

to attend an extraordinary board meeting in Dublin today.

It comes as politicians from all parties continue to criticise the trustees’ decision to sell nine paintings from Russborough, including two by Rubens, to raise funds to maintain the house and art collection.

The Alfred Beit Foundation, which was established in 1976 by the late Sir Alfred and Lady Beit, has sent the pictures to Christie’s in London for auction next month.

The Government yesterday lost a vote in the Seanad on a demand that Minister for Arts and Heritage Heather Humphreys should address the Upper House on the controversial sale.

Following angry interventions from Senators, Ms Humphreys said she was disappointed the sale could not be at least delayed but she could not instruct the trust how to do its business. “Unfortunately I can’t stop the sale . . . There’s no legal power available to me to prevent the sale,” she said.

Support

According to the foundation, it told the Government at meetings in April and September 2013 that it would run out of cash resources in 2014. It said it had highlighted the need to sell some of the paintings should the Government support not be forthcoming.

However, a source close to the Government said: “There was no conversation around selling off paintings. It’s not true to say they had put that doomsday scenario on us at the time.”

An item expected to be discussed at the board meeting due to be held in the National Gallery this morning at 10am is the statement released by the foundation on Wednesday, which said the paintings “were not left to the State by the Beits”. It said the foundation was the owner of the relevant paintings at the centre of the sales.

Cultural assets

The LinkedIn profile of the foundation’s chairwoman Judith Woodworth states that Sir Alfred “gifted the house and an outstanding art and fine furniture collection to the nation”.

Meanwhile, the Royal Irish Academy has intervened in the controversy. It expressed concern that philanthropists would be dissuaded from donating cultural assets in future.

“There is concern that private sales of cultural assets donated by philanthropists for the benefit of the Irish public such as the Russborough paintings will impede future philanthropic endeavour across the island.

“In particular, such sales are likely to have a very discouraging effect on potential future donors of works of art who hope their gifts will be enjoyed by the Irish public in perpetuity.”

The academy said further dialogue should consider the role of financial instruments and other measures in encouraging private support for culture.

Two Russborough paintings by 19th century English artist John Atkinson Grimshaw were sold by Christie’s for a combined total of £112,500 (about €156,000) last Tuesday.