A Botticelli painting, *The Virgin and Child Enthroned* (1470s), previously placed under an export ban to keep it in the UK, has been acquired by the Klesch Collection. The work, valued at £10.2 million, will remain in England through a three-year loan to the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford. The painting was bought in 1904 by Harriet Sarah Jones Loyd (Lady Wantage) from Italian dealer Elia Volpi, who had acquired it from the Magherini Graziani family.
The acquisition ensures a major Renaissance masterwork stays accessible to the British public, highlighting the effectiveness of export controls in retaining cultural heritage. The Klesch Collection, founded by industrialist Gary Klesch and art historian Anita Klesch, focuses on 15th–17th century European art and has committed to lending works to public institutions. The Ashmolean, founded in 1683, will display the Botticelli alongside its wide-ranging collections, reinforcing the role of private collectors in supporting public museums.