The complainant requested information about who provided pounds 40,000 anonymously towards the public authority’s acquisition of Holbein’s painting Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan (item number NG2475) in 1909. The public authority provided some information about the circumstances of how the painting was acquired, but explained that it did not have relevant recorded information about the donor. It explained that the painting was given to it by the National Art Collections Fund (NACF, now known as The Art Fund) and that it may hold the information about the donor. It explained that it did previously have a note sealed in two envelopes attached to its dossier about the painting about who the owner was, but that it had returned this information to the Art Fund on 8 February 2008; and so did not hold this information anymore. The complainant argued that the information was held by the Art Fund on the public authority’s behalf and should therefore be provided. The Commissioner has considered the facts of this case and is satisfied that the public authority was correct that it did not hold any relevant recorded information at the date of the request. He requires no remedial steps to be taken in this case.
Section of Act/EIR and Finding: FOI 1 – Complaint Not upheld, FOI 3 – Complaint Not upheld
[2009] UKICO FS50264179
Bailii
England and Wales
Information
Updated: 22 January 2022; Ref: scu.532440
