Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has backed the Museum of London’s proposal to display and insure Henry Moore’s Draped, Seated Woman following the decision by Tower Hamlets Council to sell the work.
The sculpture, known as ‘Old Flo’, was bought by London County Council for £6,000 in 1962, and displayed at the Stifford Estate in east London until 1997, when Yorkshire Sculpture Park borrowed the piece.
The council said it needed to make savings of £100m by 2015, stressing that proceeds would help fund key services. The piece is expected to sell for at least £5m.
“This is a statue that was sold at a bargain price by Henry Moore to the London County Council for the benefit of people in Tower Hamlets,” said Johnson in a statement.
“The Museum of London Docklands [run by the Museum of London] has offered Old Flo a home and it will be a tragedy if nothing can be done to ensure it goes back on public display in the borough, as originally intended.”
Sharon Ament, director of the Museum of London, has written to Lutfur Rahman, Tower Hamlets mayor, offering to display the sculpture outside the Museum of London Docklands. The letter said that this was the most viable option for the Moore sculpture.
“The Museum of London’s offer to put Draped Seated Woman on free, public display would enable everyone to enjoy and derive meaning from this significant artwork,” Ament said. “As the leading museum for London we would help build an enduring cultural legacy for the affectionately named Old Flo.”
Rania Khan, the council’s cabinet member for culture, said: “Henry Moore wanted his sculpture to benefit the residents of the borough, and through the sale, the council can achieve this in a tangible and practical way.”
The council said it had explored the option of displaying the sculpture in a public place, but the cost of insuring the work and threat of vandalism had proved to be “unreasonable”.
The sculpture, known as ‘Old Flo’, was bought by London County Council for £6,000 in 1962, and displayed at the Stifford Estate in east London until 1997, when Yorkshire Sculpture Park borrowed the piece.
The council said it needed to make savings of £100m by 2015, stressing that proceeds would help fund key services. The piece is expected to sell for at least £5m.
“This is a statue that was sold at a bargain price by Henry Moore to the London County Council for the benefit of people in Tower Hamlets,” said Johnson in a statement.
“The Museum of London Docklands [run by the Museum of London] has offered Old Flo a home and it will be a tragedy if nothing can be done to ensure it goes back on public display in the borough, as originally intended.”
Sharon Ament, director of the Museum of London, has written to Lutfur Rahman, Tower Hamlets mayor, offering to display the sculpture outside the Museum of London Docklands. The letter said that this was the most viable option for the Moore sculpture.
“The Museum of London’s offer to put Draped Seated Woman on free, public display would enable everyone to enjoy and derive meaning from this significant artwork,” Ament said. “As the leading museum for London we would help build an enduring cultural legacy for the affectionately named Old Flo.”
Rania Khan, the council’s cabinet member for culture, said: “Henry Moore wanted his sculpture to benefit the residents of the borough, and through the sale, the council can achieve this in a tangible and practical way.”
The council said it had explored the option of displaying the sculpture in a public place, but the cost of insuring the work and threat of vandalism had proved to be “unreasonable”.
