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New National Gallery director insists entry will stay free New National Gallery director insists entry will stay free
(34 minutes later)
The new director of the National Gallery in London has vowed to keep the gallery free, despite being braced for a cut of up to 40% in its government grant.The new director of the National Gallery in London has vowed to keep the gallery free, despite being braced for a cut of up to 40% in its government grant.
Giving his first press conference since taking the job in August, Gabriele Finaldi said free admission gave the public a feeling of ownership and connection with the works, which was not the case with other national collections.Giving his first press conference since taking the job in August, Gabriele Finaldi said free admission gave the public a feeling of ownership and connection with the works, which was not the case with other national collections.
“Free admission is in the DNA of the National Gallery, and it is what it is admired and loved for,” said Finaldi, who was a senior curator in the gallery before spending 13 years as deputy director of the Prado in Madrid.“Free admission is in the DNA of the National Gallery, and it is what it is admired and loved for,” said Finaldi, who was a senior curator in the gallery before spending 13 years as deputy director of the Prado in Madrid.
The gallery’s new chair, Hannah Rothschild, said the institution had been warned that government cuts could be in the order of 25% to 40%.The gallery’s new chair, Hannah Rothschild, said the institution had been warned that government cuts could be in the order of 25% to 40%.
Related: National Gallery staff strike shuts down most exhibitionsRelated: National Gallery staff strike shuts down most exhibitions
Finaldi, who said his office was still full of unpacked boxes, arrived back in London to take his new job in Trafalgar Square at the beginning of August to find the gallery in crisis, surrounded by pickets.Finaldi, who said his office was still full of unpacked boxes, arrived back in London to take his new job in Trafalgar Square at the beginning of August to find the gallery in crisis, surrounded by pickets.
An industrial dispute that has been rumbling for months has intensified into an all-out strike by up to a third of the 600 staff, mainly members of the Public and Commercial Services union, whose visitor services and security jobs are being outsourced to the private firm Securitas.An industrial dispute that has been rumbling for months has intensified into an all-out strike by up to a third of the 600 staff, mainly members of the Public and Commercial Services union, whose visitor services and security jobs are being outsourced to the private firm Securitas.
The gallery is having to post daily updates on which galleries and entrances are open, though it has claimed attendance figures are relatively unaffected. Visitor numbers are more than 6.5 million a year, a new record for the gallery, making it the second most popular visitor attraction in the UK after the British Museum.The gallery is having to post daily updates on which galleries and entrances are open, though it has claimed attendance figures are relatively unaffected. Visitor numbers are more than 6.5 million a year, a new record for the gallery, making it the second most popular visitor attraction in the UK after the British Museum.
Finaldi confirmed that the jobs will be outsourced to Securitas from November, but said he hoped for a smooth transition with no jobs lost, and all staff paid the London living wage. “I hope to see all our staff back to work as soon as possible, and to offer an open gallery to all our visitors.”Finaldi confirmed that the jobs will be outsourced to Securitas from November, but said he hoped for a smooth transition with no jobs lost, and all staff paid the London living wage. “I hope to see all our staff back to work as soon as possible, and to offer an open gallery to all our visitors.”
Related: Gabriele Finaldi brings some controversy to the National GalleryRelated: Gabriele Finaldi brings some controversy to the National Gallery
After blockbuster exhibitions with long queues for day tickets in recent years – including Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, a phenomenon of keeping familiar masterpieces on an international carousel criticised by some – the programme for the next year is notably more low key, although advance booking is strong for the next major exhibition, the first in decades devoted to the portraits of Goya.After blockbuster exhibitions with long queues for day tickets in recent years – including Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, a phenomenon of keeping familiar masterpieces on an international carousel criticised by some – the programme for the next year is notably more low key, although advance booking is strong for the next major exhibition, the first in decades devoted to the portraits of Goya.
Finaldi said he believed major exhibitions should have a significant element of research and innovation. “If that gets called a blockbuster, and lots of people want to come, that’s fine by me.”Finaldi said he believed major exhibitions should have a significant element of research and innovation. “If that gets called a blockbuster, and lots of people want to come, that’s fine by me.”
One of the upcoming exhibitions, Painter’s Paintings from Van Dyck to Freud, has been inspired by a recent acquisition, a painting by the 19th-century French artist, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, which came from the estate of the late Lucien Freud. The painting, known as the Italian Woman, was accepted by the government in lieu of death duties, but Freud had already said he wanted it to go to the National Gallery, in gratitude to Britain for welcoming his family as refugees.One of the upcoming exhibitions, Painter’s Paintings from Van Dyck to Freud, has been inspired by a recent acquisition, a painting by the 19th-century French artist, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, which came from the estate of the late Lucien Freud. The painting, known as the Italian Woman, was accepted by the government in lieu of death duties, but Freud had already said he wanted it to go to the National Gallery, in gratitude to Britain for welcoming his family as refugees.
The exhibition, opening in June, will draw heavily on 70 paintings in the gallery’s own collection that were once owned and cherished by other artists, including a Titian owned by Van Dyck and a Rembrandt owned by Joshua Reynolds.The exhibition, opening in June, will draw heavily on 70 paintings in the gallery’s own collection that were once owned and cherished by other artists, including a Titian owned by Van Dyck and a Rembrandt owned by Joshua Reynolds.
In February, there will be the first exhibition in Britain in more than half a century on the French painter Eugène Delacroix, and artists including Matisse who were influenced for decades after his death in 1863 by his dazzling use of light and colour, particularly in his north African paintings. In February, there will be the first exhibition in Britain in more than half a century on the French painter Eugène Delacroix and artists, including Matisse, who were influenced for decades after his death in 1863 by his dazzling use of light and colour, particularly in his north African paintings.
October 2016 will bring the first exhibition in the UK devoted to the followers of the 16th-century painter, Caravaggio – famous as much for his turbulent life, including jail breaks and flight from a murder charge, as his theatrical use of light and shade. Many loans are coming from country house private collections and have never been displayed in public before. October 2016 will bring the first exhibition in the UK devoted to the followers of the 16th-century painter Caravaggio – famous as much for his turbulent life, including jail breaks and flight from a murder charge, as his theatrical use of light and shade. Many loans are coming from country house private collections and have never been displayed in public before.
The gallery is sending one of its own greatest masterpieces, the great late self-portrait by Rembrandt, which was the star of the recent exhibition, out on tour – it will be seen next year at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Abbot Hall in Kendal, Cumbria, and Bristol Museum.The gallery is sending one of its own greatest masterpieces, the great late self-portrait by Rembrandt, which was the star of the recent exhibition, out on tour – it will be seen next year at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Abbot Hall in Kendal, Cumbria, and Bristol Museum.
Finaldi also had a rare major acquisition to show off, a beautiful golden medieval altar piece by the 14th-century Italian artist, Giovanni da Rimini, which was for centuries in the Duke of Northumberland’s collection at Alnwick Castle until it was auctioned in 2014. It has been bought with funds from an American businessman and collector, Ronald Lauder, and although it becomes part of the gallery’s permanent collection, will be loaned to Lauder, returning for exhibition in London every three years until his death, after which it will stay at the gallery permanently. Finaldi also had a rare major acquisition to show off, a beautiful golden medieval altarpiece by the 14th-century Italian artist Giovanni da Rimini, which was for centuries in the Duke of Northumberland’s collection at Alnwick Castle until it was auctioned in 2014. It has been bought with funds from an American businessman and collector, Ronald Lauder, and although it becomes part of the gallery’s permanent collection, will be loaned to Lauder, returning for exhibition in London every three years until his death, after which it will stay at the gallery permanently.