A Botticelli painting, deemed so important it was placed under an export ban, has found a new home in the UK via a three-year loan to the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. The painting, titled The Virgin and Child Enthroned, which dates back to the 1470s, was valued last May at £10.2 million.

Speaking on behalf of the institution, Xa Sturgis, the museum's director, expressed delight: 'We warmly welcome this acquisition and are pleased that it will remain in the UK.'

The Klesch Collection, led by Anglo-American industrialist Gary Klesch and his wife Anita, an art historian, have recently expanded their focus from 15th to 17th-century European art. Their collection includes works by Caravaggio, Rubens, Anguissola, and Dou, alongside the newly acquired Botticelli.

Botticelli's painting has a rich history, starting with its purchase in 1904 from Lady Wantage by an Italian dealer named Elia Volpi. It was originally part of the Graziani family collection. The Ashmolean Museum itself is no stranger to impressive collections, ranging from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art.

The current exhibition at the museum, 'In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World,' showcases over 100 artworks and objects exploring how plants have transformed our world, leaving a legacy that still shapes us today. The addition of this Renaissance masterpiece will certainly add another layer to their cultural narrative.