For over sixty years the National Galleries of Scotland has had the privilege of housing the Bridgewater Loan, arguably the finest private collection of Old Master paintings on loan to any museum or gallery in the world. But the honour of showing some of the greatest masterpieces from the story of western art has also had a more worrying aspect: for many decades we have known that, at some point, the galleries would face the prospect of trying to find a way to bring these superlative works of art into permanent public ownership.

Working closely with the owner of the collection, the Duke of Sutherland, who is committed to the idea of the paintings remaining on public view, we have constructed a deal which would not only bring two incomparable masterpieces into the national collection for ever, but also secure the future of the Bridgewater loan for another generation. For the first time, the national galleries in Edinburgh and London would work together in partnership; the sums involved are formidable but, seen in the context of the international art market and the overall value of this collection, then they are extremely generous. We will not have a better chance to address an issue which has been a major concern since this collection first went on view in London at the beginning of the 19th century.

There may be some who will question the need to spend significant sums of public and private money on great works of art. There may be others who will question why, in this global age, we must make every effort to keep these treasures in Great Britain. The answer to these questions can best be answered by the countless number of artists, students, art-lovers and ordinary members of the public who have come to admire and love these works which lie at the very heart of the National Galleries of Scotland. And a decisive intervention now will be paid off many times over in the inspiration, education and imagination of future generations.