Leicestershire Council auctions off art collection for over £170,000

The selling of artwork owned by Leicestershire County Council has raised over £170,000.

So far, a total of 318 pieces of art have been sold at an auction while 12 more are scheduled to be auctioned off today.

The vast array of artwork, which includes paintings, drawings and sculptures, had originally been purchased between 1970 and 1990 for using in schools. After being returned, they were put away into storage.

An oil on canvas, painted by the late artist Avinash Chandra, sold for a staggering £16,000 – making it the most expensive painting sold at the auction.

Leicestershire County Council is aiming to cut £79 million from its budget over the next four years, and said that the money raised from the auction would be reinvested in museums.

David Sprason, the county council's cabinet member for Adults and Communities, explained: “Like the rest of the country, we are experiencing a tough economic climate at present and are continuing to investigate different ways in which we can save money”.

He said that the council was only selling artwork that were considered surplus, and that the money generated by the sales will go directly towards funding Leicestershire’s arts and heritage service.

(Image source: http://www.artlyst.com)