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Spotlight on Titian There’s just a month left to secure additional funding to keep two world-renowned Titian paintings in Scotland, as Anna Millar reports

H opes were revived earlier this month that Edinburgh’s national galleries may be able to acquire Titian’s Diana and Actaeon. The piece, which has resided in the National Galleries of Scotland for more than 60 years, courtesy of their owner the Duke of Sutherland, is currently under threat of being sold.

Art experts say it is imperative for the galleries to step in and stop the works going on the open market at the end of December. Earlier this month a £10m grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund brought the national galleries of England and Scotland a step closer to acquiring the £50m painting. Should the galleries manage to acquire the piece, it would come with an offer to buy its sister painting, Diana and Callisto, and, more importantly according to some, remove the threat of the galleries losing 27 old masters on loan in Edinburgh from the dukes of Sutherland since 1945.

The Fund’s chair said she hoped others

would follow suit: ‘We have moved quickly to show our support and hope this persuades others to dig deep to make this dream a reality.’

The latest funding boost follows a campaign by Tracy Emin and over 40 of the world’s leading artists to recognise the importance of the work, as well as a petition being delivered to Downing Street. Emin said of the campaign: ‘It will be really embarrassing if the government doesn’t buy them and they are bought by some Russian oligarch and never seen again. If they don’t buy these, how many other paintings will they allow to be lost to the nation?’ Nicholas Penny, director of the National Gallery in London, said he was ‘very optimistic’, and reported pledges and donations currently amounted to £20m.

Hopes are high among the art community that additional funding will come from both the UK and Scottish governments but a decision is yet to be made.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IDLE Idlewild have announced plans for fans to get involved in their forthcoming album. Although there will be an album release in the summer, for a limited time, fans can pre-order a special edition album, along with extras. Check out idlewildmusic.com for your chance to get limited edition bonus tracks and to appear in the CD booklet.

8 THE LIST 27 Nov–11 Dec 2008

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BRIEFS

OSCAR WINNER Tilda Swinton has been announced as the jury president at the Berlin International Film Festival in February. The Oscar-nominated Scottish actress is a Berlinale regular, with 14 of her film screened across Berlin festivals in past years.

JENNIFER ANISTON is said to be starring opposite Gerard Butler in Goree Girls, a prison movie she is producing. Aniston is said to have approached the Scottish actor after seeing him play opposite Hilary Swank in PS I Love You.

EDINBURGH COUNCILLORS were reportedly optimistic following a visit from Unesco officials earlier this month but campaigners are still nervous that the city may be stripped of its world heritage status following the probe.

WITH DAVID Doctor Who Tennant ready to leave the building, actor Paterson Joseph, who has been hotly tipped to replace him. Joseph, who appeared in two Doctor Who episodes in 2005, admitted he would ‘relish’ it.

POPTASTIC ENDEAVOURS Amy Winehouse and David Bowie are just two of the names said to be backing a new exhibition charting the history of British pop. The British Music Experience is set to open at the O2 in London in March and will feature a mix of costumes and instruments from the last 60 years of British rock. The Who, Oasis, Blur and Paul Weller have also voiced their plans to contribute.

BRING IN THE BELLS One of Edinburgh’s newest venues is set to play host to

some of Scotland’s finest folk acts this Hogmanay.

The Picture House on

Lothian Road will showcase Shooglenifty, Annie Grace, Corrina

Hewat and Karine Polwart; alongside the award-winning Malinky and ceilidh band

Chuting Blancs, featuring Calum McCrimmon, Mike Vass and Anna

Massie. Elsewhere, Edinburgh’s

Hogmanay has announced that Friendly

Fires will complete the line-up for this year’s Concert in the Gardens, playing

alongside headliners, Groove Armada

and Paolo Nutini. In yet another addition

to the new-for-08 West End DJ stage, The Hoosiers’ Irwin Sparkes and

Alphonso Sharland are also set to take

to the decks alongside Hot Chip.