Anonymous donors prevent Irish sale

A fiercely opposed sale of Irish-owned artwork was shelved last week after an anonymous group of donors launched a private bid for paintings worth an estimated $12.5 million, potentially averting a messy political and legal dispute. International auction house Christie’s had been set to sell the paintings, which include two pieces by Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens together thought to be worth up to $7.5 million, in London on 9 July on behalf of the Alfred Beit Foundation (ABF). The privately run foundation said it needed the cash to pay for the long-term upkeep of its remaining collection at Russborough House in Ireland.