Monet painting lent to Japan is not for sale, Germans say

Krefeld, Germany - A French Impressionist painting by Claude Monet that is to be exhibited in Japan for three months next year is no longer for sale, the German city of Krefeld said Friday, after a national outcry over plans to auction it. The painting, The Houses of Parliament in London, has hung in Krefeld Museum since 1907, three years after it was painted. Its value is estimated at 20 million euros (25 million dollars). Cash-strapped Krefeld had earlier considered offering the spare painting at auction to raise funds to repair a crumbling art museum. City officials said Krefeld, near the Dutch border, made a poor home for a Monet, with no other Impressionist art in town. The town council late Thursday voted nearly unanimously against a sale, a spokesman said. The Council of German Culture welcomed the vote, saying it was a defeat for those who wanted to 'sell out public treasures.' Art lovers have flocked to view the Monet since the debate over its fate began. It is to be loaned to a newly built museum in Tokyo for a major Monet show next year. Krefeld has been hit by a decline in tax revenues as its textile industry has shrunk. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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