Rare Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Saved for UK Museum

A rare and significant 1943 sculpture by Yorkshire-born artist Barbara Hepworth, titled Sculpture With Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red, has been saved for the UK after an art gallery raised £3.8 million, preventing its export. The sculpture, one of the few wooden carvings Hepworth made during the 1940s and the first to include multicolored strings, was placed under a temporary export bar by the UK Government due to its cultural importance. The Hepworth Wakefield gallery, in Hepworth’s hometown, will display the artwork permanently following a fundraising campaign supported by more than 2,800 public donors, a £1.89 million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, and a £750,000 Art Fund grant, alongside support from various foundations and artists. The sculpture was created during World War II when Hepworth worked under challenging conditions in St Ives, Cornwall, and is inspired by the Cornish landscape. Olivia Colling, interim director of The Hepworth Wakefield, emphasized Hepworth’s connection to community and expressed gratitude for the public and philanthropic support that allowed the work to remain accessible in the UK. The acquisition reflects a broader belief in making important art available to everyone and will enable the sculpture to be loaned to other UK museums to broaden public access.