Raphael, is there another version of the same painting by Holman Hunt? I know that several painters have done more than one version of their painting/s. (That would make me feel better about
Isabella falling into private hands.)
There's currently an exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art that has several versions of van Gogh's paintings. Benjamin West created several versions of his huge (Yeah, most of his paintings were *huge*.) [img]Death%20of%20General%20Wolfe[/img].
The Detroit Institute of Arts has found itself in a terrible position. The drop in population, and the cash-strapped condition of many of the big companies in Detroit has put the museum in an unenviable position. As I understand things, they are still seriously considering selling several of their major pieces. It's so sad to see what was once one of the best museums in the country pretty much reduced to begging to stay afloat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Institute_of_ArtsSometimes, private owners take excellent care of paintings and generously loan their property to museums. Let's hope that happens in this case.