Museums round on Gouda gallery after it sells major work

A majority of members of the Dutch museum association are in favour of expelling the Gouda museum for selling a painting by South African artist Marlene Dumas at auction in London.


The sale of The Schoolboys raised €950,000 for the museum, which director Gerard de Kleijn says will save the Gouda institution from bankruptcy.
But the other museums are angry because in principle museums are not supposed to sell parts of their collection to get them out of financial difficulty.
‘In these times of cuts and pressure on museums, it is important to emphasise this principle,’ association director Hans Kamps told the Telegraaf.
Museum association members will vote in November whether to expel Gouda. If the museum is forced out, it will no longer be included in the museum discount card scheme.

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