Poussin For Sale

Nicolas Poussin's painting Ordination is one of a set of seven works entitled The Sacraments bought by the 4th Duke of Rutland in 1785. Trustees of the stately home Belvoir Castle have put it up for auction to finance restoration of the castle and its estate. It goes under the hammer at Christie's in London on 7 December. Its estimated value is £15m to £20m ($23-31m), a piddling price when compared with the idiotic sums paid for Picasso's tripe at auction. Will the Culture Minister be slapping an export ban on this French treasure?