National Portrait Gallery and Getty acquisition of Joshua Reynolds’ portrait of Mai completed following £950,000 donation by Julia and Hans Rausing
The National Portrait Gallery and Getty collaboration to jointly acquire Joshua Reynolds’ Portrait of Mai (Omai) has been successful, part funded by Julia and Hans Rausing.
The National Portrait Gallery has raised £25 million, which also included grants from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, The Art Fund, The Portrait Fund and the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation. A matching amount from Getty in the US makes up the £50m which is needed to acquire the painting.
Sir Joshua Reynolds’ spectacular Portrait of Mai (Omai) holds a pivotal place in global art history, depicting the first Polynesian to visit Britain, and is widely regarded as the finest portrait by one of Britain’s greatest artists. Known as “Omai” in England, Mai (ca. 1753-1780) was a native of Raiatea, an island now part of French Polynesia, who traveled from Tahiti to England with Captain James Cook. He spent the years 1774-76 in London, where he was received by royalty and the intellectual elite, and indeed became something of a celebrity. Mai returned to his homeland in 1777 and died there two years later.
Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director, National Portrait Gallery’s, said: “Reynolds’ magnificent Portrait of Mai is by far the most significant acquisition the National Portrait Gallery has ever made and the largest acquisition the UK has ever made, along with the Titians acquired by the National Gallery and the National Galleries of Scotland in 2009 and 2012. I would like to thank the 2,000 Art Fund members and National Portrait Gallery supporters across the UK and the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund for their significant and historic grants as well as the many other generous supporters including Julia and Hans Rausing and the Portrait Fund, who have together made such an extraordinary acquisition possible. Thanks also to Getty for joining with us in an innovative collaboration to make this painting available to a global audience.”
25 April 2023