<british museum raises 4 8 m to keep tudor heart authenticity concerns intensify legal battle over collection attributed to russian modernists morning links for february 10 2026 1234772920 — Art News
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article news calendar_today Tuesday, February 10, 2026

british museum raises 4 8 m to keep tudor heart authenticity concerns intensify legal battle over collection attributed to russian modernists morning links for february 10 2026 1234772920

The British Museum successfully raised £3.5 million ($4.8 million) to acquire the 'Tudor Heart,' a unique 16th-century gold pendant linked to Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. The funds came from over 45,000 public donations and major contributions from the Julia Rausing Trust, the Art Fund, the American Friends of the British Museum, and the National Heritage Memorial Fund, ensuring the artifact remains on public display.

A high-stakes legal battle over a collection of roughly 1,800 paintings attributed to Russian modernists like El Lissitzky and Kasimir Malevich has intensified. The litigation funder backing the claimants, who accuse an Israeli Russian businessman of stealing the works, now suspects the paintings may be forgeries, adding a significant authenticity dispute to the already complex case of alleged theft.