• Export bar is to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the painting
• Worth £11 million, the painting is a rare example of one of Bellotto’s early masterpieces

A rare early masterpiece by Italian painter Bernardo Bellotto is at risk of leaving the UK unless a buyer can be found.

Dating from the mid-18th century and measuring over two metres wide,View of Verona with the Ponte delle Navi marks an important turning point in the young Bellotto’s career as he began a series of journeys around Italy and received his first royal commission for Charles Emmanuel III (1701-1773), King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy in 1745.

This is the first of Bellotto’s paintings to be recorded in Britain and its pair is now at Powis Castle. None of his works currently in this country represent the artist’s career so dramatically and beautifully, and the importance of the work to British art cannot be overstated.

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

This rare painting is a masterpiece for its impressive scale and striking composition. Bernado Bellotto’s View of Verona with the Ponte delle Navi would make an exceptional addition to any UK gallery and I sincerely hope a buyer comes forward to save the work for the nation.

The minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The committee agreed the painting is outstandingly beautiful and innovative and one of the most remarkable of Bellotto’s career. It represents a stylistically important moment in his artistic development and plays a highly significant part in the understanding and appreciation of 18th century view painting.

Committee Member Christopher Baker said:

Bernardo Bellotto was one of the greatest vedute (view) painters of the eighteenth century and this ambitious work is among the towering achievements of his early career.

A native of Venice and nephew of Canaletto, Bellotto sought novel subjects beyond his home and here created, when in his early twenties, a remarkably mature study of the heart of Verona, notable for its bold composition, unifying silvery light and architectural interest, as well as its lively anecdotal details. Painted for an as yet unidentified British patron, View of Verona with the Ponte delle Navi’ is first recorded in London in 1771 when it was consigned to auction.

It was conceived as one of a pair of pictures (pendants); its companion explores a complementary view of the river Adige, looking in the opposite direction, and hangs in the collection of Powis Castle (National Trust). Because of the aesthetic pre-eminence of Bellotto’s work and its fascination in terms of future research around such paintings and their patronage, it would be highly desirable if this wonderful picture could find a permanent home in a British public collection.

The committee made its recommendation on the grounds that the departure of the painting from the UK would be a misfortune given its outstanding aesthetic importance and outstanding significance for the study of view painting in this country.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred for a period ending on 3rd August 2022 inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £11,244,000 (including VAT). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for six months.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.
2. Details of the painting are as follows: Bernardo Bellotto, called il Canaletto (Venice 1721–1780 Warsaw)
   A View of Verona with the Ponte delle Navi, about 1745–47
   Oil on canvas, 133.3 x 234.8 cm On the whole the condition is very good. There is a marked degree of drying cracking across much of the surface, exposing the lighter underlayers; this is a little distracting in the darker areas of foreground water and boats, but could easily be addressed in a campaign of restoration. There are also scattered local retouchings in the sky, which have significantly discoloured. A pronounced pattern of more widely spaced vertical cracks across the surface may be the result of the painting having been rolled some time well after its execution.
3. Provenance: Anonymous sale, Christie’s, London, 30 March 1771, lot 55, as ‘Canaletti’, sold for 250 gns. to ‘Fleming’; Gilbert Fane Fleming (1724–1776), Marylebone; his sale, Christie’s, London, 22 May 1777, as ‘Canaletti. A view of the city of Verona, esteemed the chef d’oeuvre of the master’, sold for 205 gns. to ‘Ld Cadogan’; Charles Sloane Cadogan, 3rd Baron, from 1800 1st Earl, Cadogan (1728–1807), and presumably by inheritance to his son, Charles Henry Sloane, 2nd Earl Cadogan (1749–1832); (probably) acquired by the Hon. George James Welbore Agar Ellis, from 1831 1st Baron Dover (1797–1833), Dover House, Whitehall, and thence by inheritance to his daughter-in-law Eliza Horatia Frederica (1833–1896), widow of Henry George, 2nd Baron Dover and 3rd Viscount Clifden (1825– 1866); by descent to their son Henry George, 4th Viscount Clifden and 2nd Baron Dover (1863– 1895); his posthumous sale, Robinson and Foster, 25 May 1895, lot 784, as ‘Canaletto’, for 2,000 gns to Agnew’s; acquired by Agnew’s on behalf of Walter Hays Burns (1838–1897), North Mymms Park, Hertfordshire; thence by descent to his grandson Major-General Sir George Burns (1911–1997), North Mymms Park, Hertfordshire; his sale, Christie’s, London, 26 November 1971, lot 30, sold for £300,000 to Cyril Humphris, London; by whom sold to a private collector, thence by descent to the previous owner until sold (‘Property from a Distinguished Private Collection’), Christie’s, London, 8 July 2021, lot 9, for £10,575,000 (including buyer’s premium).
4. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by Arts Council England (ACE), which advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
5. Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Its strategic vision in Let’s Create is that, by 2030, England should be a country in which the creativity of everyone is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. ACE invests public money from the government and the National Lottery to support the sector and deliver the vision. Following the Covid-19 crisis, ACE developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90 per cent coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. It is also one of the bodies administering the government’s unprecedented £1.96 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Today marks two years since I became the current Chair of the Youth Justice Board. The world certainly feels like a different place, as does the youth justice system. Children in particular have been through a lot and I believe that how we respond to their additional needs now and over the next few years will make all the difference. It’s a big challenge, but there is certainly no shortage of commitment from the YJB and our partners.

I’d like to use this opportunity, two years into the role, to thank our various partners for their continued engagement and support. Our unique position as the organisation responsible for oversight of the youth justice system also brings a unique opportunity for us to convene partners across the system.

There are too many organisations and forums, from youth workers to academics, to thank in turn, so I will offer a few examples of the brilliant work our partners have embarked on over the past few months alone.

Last week I chaired a meeting with senior colleagues from across policing organisations, with a very welcome introduction from Minister Atkins. There was clear agreement from all involved that children must not be an ‘add on’ to policing strategies, and that their specific needs and vulnerabilities can be better addressed with more attention and through continued improvement to how our partnerships work. We all agree that getting this right means children will be better supported resulting in less offending by children, fewer victims and safer communities for all.

I was honoured to attend the Butler Trust awards ceremony in March, which celebrated inspiring and talented staff from across the justice system. Throughout my career I have witnessed a youth justice sector brimming with talented and dedicated people, and this is well documented in the case of Paul Wood from West Sussex Youth Justice Service who was one of the worth winners of a Butler Trust award.

On the topic of youth justice services, the most recent youth annual report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation highlighted the commendable performance of youth justice services over the last year. Of those inspected in the last year, two-thirds were rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ and none as ‘inadequate’. Although there is a space for improvement, and a role for the YJB in supporting that improvement, this is a huge achievement for services operating within a pandemic.

Lastly, and most importantly, I’d like to shine a light on the incredible work of our Youth Ambassadors whose expertise and advice has had such a positive influence. They have presented to ministers and senior leaders, influenced the direction of external funding and are currently working on a participation strategy which will reflect the very best of co-creation. I look forward to seeing more of their work, watching our networks grow further and supporting their goal of enabling participation and co-creation across the youth justice system.

I am more motivated than ever to see further improvements through the remainder of my chairmanship. I remain committed to addressing racial disparity, improving delivery of local youth justice services, supporting children so they are less likely to be exploited and/or to offend, and to see improvements to the secure estate, which includes the opening of a secure school. I am confident that with the continued support of partners we will see significant progress over the coming years.

Click to read more about our stakeholder forums.

Since the tags were launched as part of government plans to curb drink-fuelled crime, 3,121 offenders have been monitored by the tags, with more than 3,000 staying sober.

Alcohol plays a part in 39 per cent of all violent crime in the UK, and the social and economic cost of drink-related harm is estimated to be around £21.5 billion per year.

As a result of the scheme’s success, the Ministry of Justice will roll out alcohol-monitoring tags to other offenders once they are released from prison in the summer. Further details will be announced in the coming months.

By 2025 it is estimated that 12,000 offenders will have had their drinking monitored by the tags – part of the Government’s £183 million expansion of electronic monitoring.

Minister of State for Crime and Policing Kit Malthouse said:

We are ramping up our use of this innovative technology because it is working, with offenders staying sober 97 per cent of the time.

It is not only protecting the public from the scourge of alcohol-fuelled crime – it also gives probation officers the chance to work with offenders to help them turn their lives around.

Since last April, courts have been able to order offenders to wear an alcohol tag as part of a community sentence when their crime was driven by alcohol. The tag takes a sample of their sweat every 30 minutes and alerts the Probation Service if the offender has been drinking.

Those found breaking their ban can face a prison sentence and fines.

Roughly 20 per cent of offenders supervised by the Probation Service have an alcohol problem. The service provides professional support to offenders with an alcohol misuse issue, monitoring risk and helping them address their consumption while also linking them into specialist help.

Mark*, aged 44 from Hereford, was sentenced to a Community Order, and required to wear an alcohol-monitoring tag for 90 days after being arrested for drink driving. He has also been banned from the road for 30 months and received 100 hours Community Payback.

Mark said:

I was pulled over on a Saturday morning and was devastated to blow over the limit. Like many others, during lockdown a drink at the weekend had turned into maybe a glass of wine during the week and it made me reflect.

I’ve not found wearing the tag hard, but it has given me extra motivation to reduce my intake.

The government is investing £183 million into the expansion of electronic monitoring. As well as sobriety devices, GPS monitoring equipment is now deployed across 19 police force areas – roughly half of England and Wales – so that burglars, robbers and thieves that have served a prison sentence of a year or more are tagged on release. Their whereabouts will be monitored by GPS satellites for up to 12 months.

*Mark is not the offender’s real name.

Notes to editors

• The Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement was launched a year ago in England following the successful launch in Wales in October 2020.
• Alcohol Monitoring on Licence was launched in Wales in November 2021 and will be rolled out to England this summer.
• The Crime Survey indicated that 39% of victims of serious offences believed that alcohol played a factor in the incident: click to read England’s survey and Wales.