Dutch PM asked to intercede with Royals about auctioning off artworks

D66 parliamentarian Salima Belhaj called on Prime Minister Mark Rutte to ask the Royal Family to temporarily abandon the auction of a number of artworks. The Royals want to sell the works at an American auction, but Belhaj hopes they can stay in the Netherlands, NOS reports.

In written questions to Rutte, Belhaj said that it must first be checked whether any Dutch museums are interested in the artworks, before the Royal Family sells it to foreign countries. "Perhaps Dutch museums are interested in buying these special pieces. Then the Dutch population can also still enjoy it", the parliamentarian said.

One of these artworks, a sketch by Peter Paul Rubens titled Nude study of young man with raised arms, is scheduled to be auctioned off by Sotheby's in New York later this month. The D66 wants Rutte to answer Belhaj's written questions before the auction.