Image: The oil sketch by Peter Paul Rubens (DCMS)
DCMS defers export licence until September, giving institutions time to raise the capital for the preparatory sketch.
A rare oil sketch by Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens has been placed under a temporary export bar in the hope it can be saved for the nation.
A temporary export bar has been placed on Cimon Falling in love with Efigenia, an authentic oil sketch by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, valued at £8.4m.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport hopes that a UK gallery or institution will step forward to acquire the work, which dates from around 1616-17. It said the work represents a remarkable example of Rubens’ preparatory methods.
The decision to defer an export licence follows advice from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.
Cimon Falling in love with Efigenia is a preparatory sketch for a painting that now hangs in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum. The oil sketch has strong British connections, as George Villiers, the first Duke of Buckingham, was an admirer of Rubens and displayed the finished painting at York House in the early 17th century.
The Reviewing Committee said that the painting met the second and third Waverley criteria for its outstanding aesthetic importance and significance to the study of Rubens’ preparatory work and the treatment of the female nude in art.
Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant said the work was “the perfect example of Rubens’ artistic talent and gives us greater insight into Flemish art during the 17th century.
I hope that a UK gallery is able to save it so that the public can enjoy it for generations to come.
Mark Hallett, committee member added: “The longer one looks at and thinks about this picture, the more complex and challenging it becomes: the mark of all truly significant works of art. For these reasons, Cimon falling in Love with Efigenia demands to be found a permanent home in the UK, where it can be enjoyed and reflected upon for decades to come.”
The decision on the export licence application will be deferred until 15 September 2025. At the end of the initial deferral period, there will be a 15-day consideration window for any formal offer to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £8,440,000. A second deferral period of six months will follow if an Option Agreement is signed.
