Two Canaletto piantings depicting two of eighteenth-century London's most popular and fashionable places have been rescued from deportation by a mystery donor (the best kind of donor don't you think?).
Back in December of last year a temporary export bar was placed on the two paintings: View of the Grand Walk, Vauxhall Gardens (pictured) and The Interior of the Rotunda, Ranelagh (Chelsea to you and me) after the anonymous owner of the pictures received a £6m offer for them from (whisper it) overseas.
The export bar was agreed to as the paintings were seen to be so "closely connected with our history and national life that their departure would be a misfortune and on the grounds that they are of outstanding significance for the study of Canaletto and, in particular, his English period."
Thankfully just hours before the bar was due to expire (they've got a dramatic streak these arty types you know) the six million was donated by our anonymous friend.
In case you were wondering the £50m Kent robbery took place a good 24 hours after the mysterious benefactor came forward so there's no need for the police to go knocking on Brian Sewell's door or anything....probably.
