The painting, which is currently in the possession of the Spanish government, has been declared “not exportable” by a Spanish court. The painting, which has been valued at €30 million, is a portrait of a Spanish cleric and was attributed to the 17th-century Spanish artist Diego Velázquez.
The decision was made by the Second Chamber of the Central Administrative Court of Spain, which ruled that the painting is a “national treasure” and that it is “not exportable” under Spanish law. The ruling was made in response to an appeal filed by the Spanish government, which was seeking to prevent the painting from being sold to a private collector.
The painting was donated to the Spanish government in 2017 by the Pérez Simón Foundation, a Spanish charity. The Foundation had purchased the painting at an auction in 2015 for €26.7 million.
The painting will now remain in Spain, where it will be on display at the Prado Museum in Madrid.