- By Emma Saunders
- Culture reporter
Image source, Getty and National Portrait Gallery
The portrait will go on display at London’s National Portrait Gallery in June
Joshua Reynolds’ Portrait of Mai (Omai) has been saved from private sale thanks to money raised by the National Portrait Gallery and Getty in the US.
The National Portrait Gallery has raised £25 million, which has been matched by the same amount from Getty.
The painting was acquired at auction by a private collector in 2001, who offered it for sale for £50m.
It will now be shared between galleries in the UK and the US under shared ownership.
The Portrait of Mai (Omai) is widely regarded as the finest portrait by one of Britain’s greatest artists.
The UK government had put an export ban on the sale to prevent it being sold abroad.
Dr Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said: “Reynolds’ majestic 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.”
‘Uniquely important’
The public will get their first glimpse of the venerated work at London’s National Portrait Gallery when it reopens on 22 June, following a major transformation project.
It will later be seen at other galleries across the UK, including The Box in Plymouth.
The portrait will first go on display in the US at the J Paul Getty Museum in 2026, including the period when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympic Games.
He thanked all those who had contributed along with Getty, “for having the vision to join us in an innovative strategic partnership to ensure this uniquely important painting enters public ownership for the first time, in Reynolds’ 300th anniversary year, so its beauty can be seen and enjoyed by everyone”.
Known as “Omai” in England, Mai was from Raiatea, an island now part of French Polynesia, who travelled from Tahiti to England with Captain James Cook.
He spent the years between 1774 and 1776 in London, where he was received by royalty and the intellectual elite, and became something of a celebrity.
Mai returned to his homeland in 1777 and died there two years later.
Dr Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum, said: “Joshua Reynolds’ Portrait of Mai is not only one of the greatest masterpieces of British art, but also the most tangible and visually compelling manifestation of Europe’s first encounters with the peoples of the Pacific islands.
“The opportunity for Getty to partner with the gallery in acquiring and presenting this work to audiences in Britain and California, and from around the world, represents an innovative model that we hope will encourage others to think creatively about how major works of art can most effectively be shared.”
The National Portrait Gallery said it wanted to thank the former owners of the painting for their co-operation in the process, and Christie’s for their support in the negotiations.
Support for the campaign also came from leading artists Sir Antony Gormley, Rebecca Salter and Richard Deacon and historians Simon Schama, David Olusoga and Simon Sebag-Montefiore.
Reynolds was the first president of the Royal Academy and many of his works line the walls of the National Gallery. He was knighted by King George III in 1769.
He died in 1792 and his body is buried at St Paul’s Cathedral.
He kept the picture in his London studio until his death in 1792. It was shortly after acquired by Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, who installed it in his country estate, Castle Howard, in Yorkshire, England.
The painting remained there until 2001, when it was acquired at auction by a private collector, who offered it for sale.
