A sculpture by Dame Barbara Hepworth worth £3.5 million has been given a temporary export bar to prevent it from leaving the UK.
Sculpture With Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue And Red, created in the 1940s, was auctioned by Christie’s, in March, for millions of pounds.
A committee, serviced by Arts Council England (ACE), has made the recommendation for an export bar to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the sculpture.
The independent body said the artwork has an “outstanding connection with our history and national life”, and also holds “outstanding aesthetic importance”, and “outstanding significance to the study of Dame Barbara Hepworth’s working practice and the evolution of her work”.
The sculpture is made of painted wood and is part of a larger series in Dame Barbara’s oeuvre, which she developed throughout the Second World War after she settled with her family in St Ives, Cornwall.
Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “Dame Barbara Hepworth was a phenomenal artistic genius, who will continue to inspire future generations with her unique genre defining sculptures, which remain as powerful and engaging now as during her lifetime.
“Hepworth was influenced by her surroundings and this sculpture is a beautiful insight into her new life in St Ives after the outbreak of the Second World War.
“I hope a UK buyer can be found for this sculpture so the British public can continue to learn and engage with one our most important artists for generations to come.”
Stuart Lochhead, from the Reviewing Committee On The Export Of Works Of Art And Objects Of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), added: “Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red embodies the Cornish sky, sea and rugged coastline, in which she lived and which influenced her so deeply.
I hope a UK buyer can be found for this sculpture so the British public can continue to learn and engage with one our most important artists for generations to come.
“One of only a handful of stringed and coloured sculptures she produced during this period, it marks a significant evolution in her practice, bridging her pre-and post-war artistic developments.
“As such, this beautiful and immensely informative work by one of Britain’s greatest artists must be saved for the nation.”
The decision on the export licence application for the sculpture will be deferred and at the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 business days to consider any offers to purchase the sculpture at the recommended price of £3,652,180.63 (plus VAT of £129,800).
Dame Barbara was one of the leading British artists of the 20th century.
Her Sculpture With Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue And Red has been exhibited at galleries across the UK, including Tate Britain, and Christie’s previously auctioned the sculpture in 1998 and 2008.
