Urban Art Association

The article in full (minus the pictures) :

Tracey Emin is to deliver an artists' petition to Downing Street in a bid to keep two paintings by Italian Renaissance artist Titian in the UK.

The national galleries of Scotland and London are hoping to raise £50m to save the picture Diana and Actaeon.

If funds are raised to buy it by a 31 December deadline, a second work, Diana and Callisto, will also be offered for sale for £50m in four years.

Both of the paintings are being sold by the Duke of Sutherland.

He is prepared to sell them at a third of the estimated open market value.

'Inspiring generations'

Artists including Lucien Freud, Damien Hirst and David Hockney have signed the letter calling on government support to keep the two paintings - which it describes as "among the finest works in private hands in the world" - in the UK.

"The paintings have been in Britain for more than two centuries on continuous public view at the National Gallery of Scotland since the collection was placed there in 1945, inspiring generations of visitors," the letter states.

"We also believe that, in challenging times, the heritage of the past and the art of the present are more important than ever," it adds.

The paintings were created as part of a cycle of works for King Philip II of Spain from 1556 to 1559.

They form part of the historic Bridgewater collection, owned by the Duke of Sutherland and on display at the National Gallery of Scotland.

The collection also includes three paintings by Raphael, a Rembrandt, a Van Dyck, a Tintoretto and two more Titians.

Titian is acknowledged as one of the greatest colourists of all time who pioneered the use of oil paints and paved the way for generations of artists to come.

You stole the words right out of my mouth........