London
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) may lease out pictures which are not required for display, to generate money for acquisitions. The idea was revealed by director Mark Jones, who plans to put a proposal to his trustees next year.
The V&A has 2,000 oil paintings, which makes it the country’s third largest collection. The difficulty, however, is that there is only space to show 170 oil paintings in its refurbished picture galleries, which were opened three years ago. A further 180 are on show in other galleries.
Mr Jones believes that it is wrong to keep large numbers of pictures off view. “I don’t feel it is defensible to hold objects in store, like paintings, which are intended for display.” The stored pictures, housed in premises in Olympia, can be seen by appointment and are available for loan to other museums (70 are currently out on loan).
Many of the stored works are of interest, but Mr Jones admits that there is a rump which are very unlikely to be requested. He believes that deaccessioning should be considered, but leasing does at least offer the opportunity to reclaim a work if tastes change, and it is wanted for display.
The leasing would probably be for several years, on a renewable basis, and Mr Jones insists it would be important to retain a degree of public access. This could be a similar system to that of conditional exemption from inheritance tax, under which owners are required to give access to individuals by appointment and to lend, when requested, to public exhibitions.
Leased V&A paintings could go to either companies or private individuals, with borrowers agreeing to environmental and security conditions, and to proper insurance. Money raised from leasing would be used for acquisitions. Mr Jones stresses that he still wishes to retain a strong display of paintings at the V&A, partly to emphasise the links between the fine and decorative arts.
Although less than a fifth of the V&A’s paintings are currently on display, there could eventually be some additional space. One plan is for paintings to expand into the adjacent textile galleries, if textiles were eventually moved to a new building in the area where the Spiral was to have been erected. This would double the paintings galleries, making it possible to show another 170 pictures, but this would still leave around three-quarters off view. Further space in the textile galleries is many years away and there will inevitably be competing bids for the rooms from other museum departments.
