Poland buys da Vinci and famous collection for bargain price
The Polish government has purchased a world-famous art collection, including one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings, for a fraction of its value, the BBC reports.
The Czartoryski collection of about 86,000 pieces, based in the city of Krakow, includes da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine and works by Rembrandt.
It was sold for €100m ($105m; £85m) despite being estimated at about €2bn.
The management board of the Czartoryski Foundation resigned in protest at the bargain price.
The board says it was not consulted about the sale, which was negotiated between Poland's culture Ministry and the head of the family which owns the collection, Adam Karol Czartoryski.
Mr Czartoryski said he was supporting the Polish nation by accepting the offer, effectively making a large donation to the state.
He said he "felt like making a donation" and that it was his choice to make.
In addition to the artworks, the Czartoryski collection includes about 250,000 manuscripts and books. All are now the property of the Polish state.
Poland's culture ministry said negotiations for the collection had taken several months.
Lady with an Ermine, painted in 1490, is one of only four portraits of women by Da Vinci.
It shows Cecilia Gallerani, a young woman in the Milanese court who was mistress to Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan.
His nickname at court was "the white ermine" - explaining the animal's presence in her arms.
It was stolen from Poland by Nazi forces during World War Two, but later repatriated and restored to its owners.
In 2014, new techniques revealed that the painting had been changed at least twice - with the eponymous animal only being added in a later version.
Other famous works in the acquired collection include Rembrandt's Landscape with the Good Samaritan and drawings by the French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Parts of the collection have been housed in the National Museum in Krakow for many years.
Videos
Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
-
15:20 • 24.05.21
Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
-
11:39 • 24.04.21
Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
-
09:40 • 23.04.21
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
-
15:34 • 22.04.21
Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
-
14:09 • 21.04.21
'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
-
12:37 • 03.04.21
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
-
17:33 • 11.03.21
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
-
17:57 • 26.01.21
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
-
13:33 • 22.01.21
Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
-
09:42 • 29.12.20
UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
-
18:41 • 24.12.20
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
-
13:33 • 31.10.20
Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
-
16:37 • 30.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
-
11:25 • 28.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
-
13:45 • 24.10.20
Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
-
11:51 • 24.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
-
11:40 • 24.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
-
10:39 • 24.10.20
Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
-
12:41 • 23.10.20
President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
-
12:16 • 23.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
-
12:02 • 22.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
-
10:35 • 22.10.20
President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
-
10:51 • 17.10.20
Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
-
15:09 • 15.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
-
13:13 • 13.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
-
12:56 • 12.10.20
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
-
12:23 • 12.10.20
Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
-
17:23 • 09.10.20
Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
-
15:53 • 09.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
-
14:11 • 09.10.20
Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
-
15:52 • 08.10.20
Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
-
10:57 • 08.10.20
Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
-
14:24 • 07.10.20
War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
-
19:31 • 05.10.20
Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
-
16:17 • 04.10.20
Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
-
12:39 • 04.10.20
Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
-
13:49 • 03.10.20
Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
-
10:12 • 29.09.20
ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
-
23:42 • 28.09.20
There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
-
18:45 • 28.09.20
EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
Most popular articles Today Yesterday For a week
-
Politics 10:36 • 13/11 Musk and Ramaswamy will head Department of Government Efficiency, Fox News host to head Pentagon Presidentelect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration “Together, these two wond
-
Economy 12:16 • 08/11 Ucom and Sunchild NGO install another solar plant in Areni "Establishing sustainable energy sources is critical for community development, providing immediate economic benefits and demonstrating the importance of local solutions," said Sona Kalantaryan, Director of SunChild NGO. -
Politics 10:36 • 13/11 Musk and Ramaswamy will head Department of Government Efficiency, Fox News host to head Pentagon Presidentelect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration “Together, these two wond
Economy
-
12:16 • 08.11.24 Ucom and Sunchild NGO install another solar plant in Areni
Event
-
17:34 • 05.11.24 Ucom joins Armenian Internet Governance Forum as a platinum partner
Science/tech
-
14:18 • 08.05.24 AstraZeneca withdrawing Covid vaccine worldwide
