Russian Art At Risk

French and Russian Master Paintings is due to open at the Royal Academy of Arts in January. But the art exhibition is at risk if authorities in Russia do not issue export licences for art works that include paintings by Picasso and Van Gogh. The Russian Ministry of Culture said a final decision would be made Thursday. The Royal Academy said it had not received any official notification regarding the exhibition and was "seeking clarification". It had earlier assured Russia that the art works were protected under British law and could not be seized to settle private legal claims. The exhibition, which includes works from the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and Moscow's Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, is currently in Dusseldorf, Germany. Some of the art was taken from private collections after the 1917 revolution, leading to fears of seizure. Gordon Brown and Vladimir Putin are scheduled to attend the show's opening. (For full source and full article click the Headline). Irish Art