AIL Gainsboroughs on Display at No.1 Royal Crescent
September 16 2024
Picture: No.1 Royal Crescent
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
No.1 Royal Crescent in Bath, run by the Bath Preservation Trust, have just displayed four recently acquired paintings by Thomas Gainsborough. The portraits of the Tugwell family, who were middle-class manufacturers from a small West Country town, were painted by the artist around the year 1760. The works were acquired through the Acceptance in Lieu Scheme (AIL), via the auctioneers Duke's, and settled £88,125 worth of tax.
According to the article linked above:
Senior curator for Bath Preservation Trust Dr Amy Frost said: "The portraits are remarkable for capturing two generations of a manufacturing family." [...]
"When I opened the email saying 'Do you want four Gainsborough portraits?' my first reaction was to ask: 'Is this real?' especially as it then said 'as a gift'.
"We're a small museum, and a gift like this can be revolutionary in terms of the quality of what we display," said Ms Frost.
