A female protester, trying to stop the sale of a number of paintings from the Beit Collection, will chain herself to the railings of the National Gallery today.
The 'Old Master' paintings worth millions of euro are currently on display in Wicklow's Russborough House, but they are due to be auctioned at Christie’s in London to raise funds for the upkeep of the stately home.
Some of the paintings being sold include those recovered after four major robberies at the house since the 1970s.
The paintings being auctioned include two works by Rubens, and one from David Teniers the Younger. However it has been confirmed a third Rubens will now not be sold.
The collection was gifted to the Irish people, and there has been a public backlash since the foundation responsible for it announced their intention to sell.
In a statement earlier this week, the National Gallery said, "some of these works are of interest in principle to the National Gallery of Ireland. Regrettably, however, the National Gallery of Ireland has had no budget for acquisitions since 2010."
Elena Hughes explains why she is making her protest so public:
