Follow Up on Christie's Art Auction

I recently posted about an art auction at Christie's.  One of the headlining works, William Holman Hunt's Isabella and the Pot of Basil was sold by the Delaware Art Museum.

William Holman Hunt, Isabella and the Pot of Basil, private collection

This is a smaller version of the original painting held by the Laing Art Gallery.  The Delaware Art Museum lost its accreditation because of the sale.  Museums do have to sell art occasionally to stay open, but this is very frowned upon in the art museum community.  An interesting view into the economics of art.  Should a museum be "allowed" to sell a work to fund itself?  Is there a difference if the work was purchased by the museum or donated to the museum?

The Association of Art Museum Directors released the following statement:

"With this sale, the museum is treating its works from its collection as disposable assets, rather than irreplaceable cultural heritage that it holds in trust for people now and in the future," the AAMD, representing 242 members in North America, said in a statement. "It is also sending a clear signal to its audiences that private support is unnecessary, since it can always sell additional items from its collection to cover its costs."

But what if the private support is not there and the choice is to sell a work or close?  By selling a major work a museum may be undercutting its very attendance and mission.  It is not an easy answer.

William Holman Hunt: Painter, Painting, Paint
The Pre-Raphaelites: Their Lives and Works
The Pre-Raphaelites: From Rossetti to Ruskin