RTÉ to pocket just €73k from art sale, says leading dealer
Broadcaster calls halt to future auctions amid disappointment at result
RTÉ may only pocket a paltry €73,000 from its controversial art sale at Sotheby’s, amid accusations that the sale was a publicity stunt to get the Government to increase the TV licence fee.
The broadcaster has now told the Irish Mail on Sunday that it will not sell any more art in future.
The sale last week was intended to raise money for the broadcaster but only two out the five art works offered by RTÉ sold at Sotheby’s last Tuesday.
Louis le Brocquy’s Táin was sold for €102,542, while an abstract work by William Scott sold for €219,113.
Another, George Campbell’s Symphony Orchestra, was sold prior to the auction for an undisclosed sum.
Now, leading Dublin art auctioneer Ian Whyte says that after all fees, RTÉ will clear just over €70,000 from the Sotheby’s sale.
While the buyers paid a total of €321,000 for the two art works, Mr Whyte cautioned that commission, VAT and royalties to the artists’ estates must be deducted from this sum.
In addition to those deductions, the Arts Council – co-owner of the
‘Hardly worth all the bad publicity’
artworks – must be paid its 50% share. Furthermore, capital gains tax has to be paid on the net profit.
The art dealer estimated that the figure RTÉ will make will be closer to €73,000, allowing for inflation.
Given such an abysmal result, Mr Whyte says people would have to question why RTÉ bothered to sell in the first place? ‘Maybe they just wanted to highlight the bad state of their finances,’ he said.
‘Certainly it drew media attention to their cause. But it was hardly worth all the bad publicity.
‘From what I hear, €70,000 might only be a month’s wages for one of their presenters.’
In 2015, RTÉ’s board had considered disposing of the paintings, two of which were specially commissioned for the television building, but the move was voted down.
However, Dee Forbes who has been RTÉ director general since 2016, reintroduced the idea and the sale went ahead.
The MoS asked Ms Forbes last week whether she was wrong to preside over the sale of the paintings, an act which has been described as ‘cultural vandalism’.
She answered defiantly, saying: ‘Look, I don’t want to be in a position where I’m having to sell off paintings, where I’m having to sell land but I’m afraid I don’t have any other choice at the moment.’
Meanwhile, on social media people have had their view of the art sale. ‘This is a stunt to put pressure on the Government prior to the budget. It is window dressing for the inevitable increase in the licence fee,’ said one Twitter user.
Mr Whyte says he ‘genuinely hopes’ this is not true.
‘It would be absolutely dreadful if they used art to get more money from the Government It would be shameful.’
RTÉ denied this weekend that the sale was a publicity stunt. It also said Mr Whyte’s figure of €73,000 was ‘understated and incorrect’.
A spokesman said: ‘As previously stated, RTÉ is well aware this sale will not solve our financial issues. RTÉ has no plans to sell art in the future.’
Sotheby’s said this week that the commission to be paid by RTÉ ‘is agreed privately and is on a sliding scale. The amount paid on commission is on a case-by-case basis.’
They refused to say who had bought the tapestry and paintings but hinted that the identity of the individuals would be known soon.