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The Monarch of the Glen

11/3/2016

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PictureThe Monarch of the Glen
I have just become aware that the famous painting with the name of the post is going to be sold by auction in December.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-37847020

The Monarch of the Glen by Sir Edwin Landseer (1851) is a painting that I love, it reminds me of my youth and I will forever associate it with drinking at the Red Hart pub in Bucklersbury, Hitchin.

And in a surprise twist, it turns out that my association of the Monarch and booze is not altogether inappropriate bearing in mind that its current owner is Diageo – none other than the custodians of one of my favourite pints, “Guinness”.

Believe me, a considerable quantity of Diageo’s premier stout was consumed in the Red Hart, which had a large framed print of the Monarch on the wall.

I have written about the pub before…

http://www.adrianbaldwin.net/blog/the-red-hart-jigsaw-inspired-nostalgia-and-666-words

So there is no need to repeat the previously stated nostalgic reflections.

The painting, being sold by Christie's, London is expected to fetch more than £10 million. That’s a staggering amount of money (do you like the pun by the way? Couldn’t help myself). Whilst I’d like to own the original, hang it on my wall and get all my old drinking buddies together to appreciate it…

…the price tag got me to thinking about how on earth that would be possible.

If I, and all those named in my earlier post (Mike Costantini, Chris Williams, Richard Davies, Derek Fisher, Vince Coppard, Tracy Westgate, Susan How, Jackie & Sally and my sister Tina) liquidated every asset we own between us (acquired over at least 27 years of ongoing investment), the collective amount raised wouldn’t get anywhere near the expected sale price.

Even if it was possible to recover the amount spent on every single drink downed between us during those halcyon years at the Hart (not an insignificant sum), the funds would still be woefully short.

Very deep pockets are necessary to own the Monarch. The fear expressed by some is that those deep pockets will be foreign and that the painting will leave its long term home in Scotland.

That would be a shame.

Hopefully the National Museum of Scotland will be able to bid and retain the artwork. If it does, I am going to go to the Scottish galleries and view it for myself.

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