AP Britain’s Tate gallery raises money to buy Turner’s painting ‘Blue Rigi’ for the nation

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Tate gallery has raised almost $9.8 million to keep a watercolor by Nineteenth Century landscape painter J.M.W. Turner in the country.

“The Blue Rigi: Lake of Lucerne, Sunrise’’ was sold to an anonymous buyer in June at Christie’s auction house for $11.4 million, but the British government temporarily suspended its sale to give the gallery time to raise the money to buy it.

Under British law, the culture department can impose a temporary ban on the export of a work considered to be a national treasure.

With the export bar due to run out March 20, the gallery recently said that it had raised the $9.7 million purchase price set by the government, which includes “tax remissions.’’ The money includes $3.8 million from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, $3.9 million from the Tate’s trustees and $1.1 million from more than 11,000 members of the public.

“The Blue Rigi’’ is one of four watercolors produced by Turner after a 1841 visit to Switzerland, and features the artist’s characteristically bold play of light and shadow.

Tate director Nicholas Serota called the painting “a truly extraordinary work of ineffable beauty.’’

This year, the Tate failed in an attempt to obtain another painting in the series, “The Dark Rigi: Lake of Lucerne.’’

Turner is considered one of Britain’s greatest landscape painters. Last year, a Venice canal scene by the artist, “Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio,’’ sold for $35.8 million in New York City.