Issue - meetings

Watts Gallery is an important contributor to culture in Surrey and is the chief repository of the works of Victorian artists George Frederic and Mary Watts. An opportunity has arisen for Watts Gallery to acquire a portrait of Violet Lindsay, later Marchioness of Granby and Duchess of Rutland, painted by G.F. Watts circa 1879.

Watts Gallery has approached the Council  with a proposal that it purchase the portrait on the Gallery’s behalf, this would reduce the cost of acquisition by allowing the vendor to take advantage of taxation rules designed to facilitate public access to  important works of art.  Watts Gallery would then purchase the portrait from the Council and the Council’s acquisition of the portrait would be conditional upon onward sale to Watts Gallery. In the short period between acquisition and onward sale, the Council would loan the portrait to Watts Gallery.

The Leader of the Council agreed that, subject to authorisation from HMRC being received and the required insurance cover being in place, Surrey County Council enter into an agreement to purchase the portrait of Violet Lindsay from its current owners for the sum of £89,200 and that the Council enters into an agreement to sell the portrait of Violet Lindsay to Watts Gallery for the same price of £89,200. It was further agreed that Surrey County Council enter into an agreement to loan the portrait to Watts Gallery for the short period between acquiring the portrait and selling it on.