Poland in talks to buy da Vinci painting, art collection
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
14.12.2016 14:20
The Polish government is in talks with the aristocratic Czartoryski Foundation to buy an art collection which includes Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an ermine” painting.
Leonardo Da Vinci's Lady with an ermine. Photo: Wikimedia commons/Cezary Piwowarski
Speaking to Polish Radio earlier this week, deputy Culture Minister Jarosław Sellin confirmed that discussions were “in progress”.
“The Czartoryski collection, which was set up over 200 years ago by the Czartoryski family, is one of the most valuable collections in the world, not only in Poland,” Sellin said.
“This includes the collection’s most famous work [Lady with an Ermine], which is currently in Poland, and it would be good if even from a formal standpoint, it were to become a national treasure,” he added.
He added that discussions were in progress, but declined to give any details.
Local media had earlier reported that the painting alone – one of da Vinci’s most recognisable works, and the only one still in private hands – could be fetch between PLN 0.5-1 billion (EUR 113-225 million) when it is sold as part of the whole collection.
The deputy chairman of the foundation, Rafał Slaski, told Bloomberg that the collection once carried a price tag of PLN 4.5 billion. (rg)