Sir Joshua Reynolds's "Portrait of Mai (Omai)" (c. 1776) goes on display at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles beginning September 14. The painting arrives at the California institution four years after the United Kingdom issued a 15-month export ban to prevent its sale abroad.
The Getty and the National Portrait Gallery in London jointly acquired the work in 2023, each institution paying half of the £50 million purchase price, equivalent to $61 million at the time. The shared ownership arrangement was described as a rare move.
Conservators from both institutions analyzed the nearly eight-foot-long painting over five weeks after it arrived at the Getty in July, using flashlights and imaging technology. The researchers identified an array of pigments used by Reynolds and discovered areas where he reworked the composition with multiple colors and layers.
A Getty spokesperson said the analysis revealed "Reynolds' use of thick and textured paint in certain areas of the painting." The reworked sections include the subject's head and his intricately tattooed hands.
