Barbara Hepworth sculpture goes on display after successful fundraising appeal

A rare Barbara Hepworth sculpture has gone on public display at the Hepworth Wakefield in Yorkshire, after a public fundraising appeal to purchase the piece hit its £3.8m target.

Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form Pale Blue and Red) carved in 1943 is one of the earliest examples of Hepworth’s stringed sculptures and marks a breakthrough moment in her career.

Having spent most of its life in private ownership, the piece was rarely seen by the public. Its most recent owner purchased the artwork through auction on 20 March 2024 for £3.549m and subsequently applied to export it to the USA.

Following an objection from a curator at Tate St Ives, the case was referred to the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which had to consider whether it met any of the Waverly criterion.

Waverley 1: Is it closely connected with our history and national life?

Although the expert adviser had not put forward the first Waverley criterion, the committee by a majority agreed that it was met because this was a pivotal sculpture from Dame Barbara Hepworth, one of the most important and influential British sculptors. They agreed that the provenance was exceptional and noted the outstanding significance of Hepworth’s relationship with Helen Sutherland.

Waverley 2: Is it of outstanding aesthetic importance?

The committee agreed that the sculpture was of outstanding aesthetic significance and met the second Waverley criterion as it marked Hepworth’s transition from Constructivism to creating stringed and coloured sculptures.

Waverley 3: Is it of outstanding significance for the study of some particular branch of art, learning or history?

The committee agreed that the sculpture met the third Waverley criterion as it was one of only eight produced by Hepworth created during the second world war. Alongside other sculptures from this series in UK public collections, the committee noted that it would provide outstanding opportunity for study as well as insight into the evolution of Hepworth’s career.

The committee recommended that a decision on the export licence be deferred to enable for a serious offer from a UK institution to raise the funds to purchase the artwork.

This sparked a national fundraising campaign to acquire the piece for the nation, which was supported by donations from more than 2,800 members of the public, as well as major funders including the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which contributed £1.89m.

The Art Fund, which led the campaign alongside the Hepworth Wakefield, also awarded a £750,000 grant.

To celebrate its arrival in Wakefield, the gallery is offering a week of free entry for all visitors. Normally, exhibition entry is £13 (free for members, Wakefield District residents and under 18s).

The sculpture forms part of a new exhibition telling the story of the artwork, including archive material such as photographs of Hepworth and letters from the period in which the sculpture was made between her and then-director of Wakefield Art Gallery, Ernest Musgrave.

Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red will be reunited with its ‘stringing map’, which the gallery already owns, providing visitors with insight into the practical process of artmaking.

“We are delighted to be able to give this sculpture the attention it deserves in a dedicated display here in Wakefield, the UK's capital of sculpture, so that many people can experience this beautiful artwork for themselves,” said Olivia Colling, the interim director and chief executive officer of the Hepworth Wakefield.

“In celebration of the incredible generosity people have demonstrated in saving this sculpture for the nation, we are giving free admission to everyone to see the new work and our permanent Hepworth galleries."

Andrew Hochhauser, the chair of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which recommended the export bar, said: “This magnificent Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red, so recently at risk of leaving the country for good, now finds the perfect home at the Hepworth Wakefield.

“Protecting our shared cultural heritage is vitally important work, and one that challenges us to also balance the interests of our nation’s large international art trade.

"Seeing objects like this sculpture on public display as the result of our recommended export bar and a tireless fundraising campaign, however, shows both the impact and the importance of the Reviewing Committee’s work.”

Provenance

Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form Pale Blue and Red) was acquired directly from the artist by art collector Helen Sutherland in March 1944. In 1966, Sutherland sold the piece to Nicolete Gray where it passed by descent.

The sculpture first went up as an anonymous sale at Christie’s, London, on 1 July 1998, where it sold for £177,500.

On 6 June 2008, it returned to the auction house and sold for £892,450.

On 20 March 2024, it was purchased through auction for £3.549m by the most recent owner.