Lucas van Leyden was best known for his prints. He was one of the first Dutch artists to gain fame abroad. His fame was compared to his German contemporary Albrecht Dürer and later to Rembrandt and Rubens.

The drawing depicts a permanent young man, possibly in contemporary clothing from around 1520. It may have been portrayed as someone’s nobility, as he wields a sword or someone who served as a model for it. It is the only drawing by Van Leyden that is not part of a museum collection.

Reserved for the public

The British minister says he will do everything in his power to preserve the drawing for Great Britain: “This incredibly rare work by Lucas van Leyden is a true treasure. The drawing shows the skill of the artist and It is a true treasure. 16th century document. “

The minister made his decision following a recommendation from a special committee (RECWA) that decides that cultural goods that people want to export should be classified as national art treasures. Ellis: “I hope we can keep working in the UK for the public to enjoy.”

Aidan Weston-Lewis, the head commissioner of collections at the National Gallery of Scotland, also believes that a great effort should be made: “This is one of the few paintings by the artist in our possession and no more than the other portrait in our possession We can do everything we can to preserve this drawing. “

Rubens drawing

In January, a drawing of Peter Paul Reubens, owned by Princess Christina, went under the hammer in New York. Dutch museums and funds tried in vain to find work in a Dutch collection. The drawing raised $ 7 million, more than 6 million euros. Reubens was probably bought by an American collector.

As a result of this auction, an independent committee led by former D66 leader Pechtold is investigating whether enough is being done to stop the sale of important Dutch art goods overseas. This has been done at the request of Minister Van Angelsoven.