Press release: Turner’s Ehrenbreitstein at risk of leaving the UK

Arts Minister Michael Ellis has placed a temporary export bar on Ehrenbreitstein, by JMW Turner, to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country.

The painting is at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £18,533,750 (plus VAT of £306,750).

Shown at the Royal Academy in 1835 and based on material Turner collected when he visited the spot in 1833, the painting depicts the historic fortress overlooking the Rhine near Koblenz, Germany, dense with historical references to the French Revolutionary Wars which devastated Europe and reshaped the political and cultural landscape.

The obelisk on the left marks the grave of General Francois-Sévérin Marceau-Desgraviers, a hero of the French Revolutionary Army. His brief but brilliant career made him a Romantic hero while his moving funeral, at which German and French soldiers laid aside their enmity and participated, became a symbol for European reconciliation. These won him the accolade of a passage in Lord Byron’s poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage” and the painting demonstrates that Turner shared Byron’s sentiments.

Turner produced a number of illustrations of sites associated with Byron for his publisher John Murray, and chose epigraphs from Byron for six paintings ranging across Belgium, Italy and – as in Ehrenbreitstein – Germany.

This is the only painting Turner produced of Ehrenbreitstein in oil. Contrary to his usual practice, the painting – rather than a highly finished watercolour – served as the direct model for the reproductive engraving by John Pye. Frustrated at how long Pye was taking to complete his task, Turner reclaimed the painting in 1842 and sold it to his important patron Elhanan Bicknell, on condition that it be returned to Pye until the print had been finished.

Arts Minister Michael Ellis said:

This rich, atmospheric painting demonstrates Turner’s extraordinary skill depicting light, as well as the close relationship between painting and poetry.

I very much hope that it can remain in the UK, where it can be admired and appreciated by future generations for many years to come.

The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by The Arts Council.

RCEWA member Lowell Libson said:

This magnificent and beautifully preserved painting from Turner’s maturity demonstrates this great artist’s ability to present many layered narratives – historical and emotional – within the context of topography. It is one of Turner’s finest works of the period.

The RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the painting’s outstanding significance for the study of its status as a literary landscape and as a painting made primarily for engraving.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred until 28 May. This may be extended until 28 November if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of £18,533,750 (plus VAT of £306,750).

Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by Michael Ellis. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.

An image of the painting can be downloaded via our flickr site.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Details of the painting are as follows:
   Oil on canvas, 36 1⁄4 x 48 1⁄2 in (93 x 48 1⁄2 cm), in good condition
2. Provenance: Sold directly by the artist, in 1844, to one of his most important patrons, Elhanan Bicknell (1788–1861), Carlton House, Herne Hill, Dulwich; His sale, London, Christie’s, 25 April 1863, lot 118, to Agnew’s on behalf of Ralph Brocklebank; Ralph Brockelbank (1803–1892), Childwall Hall, Liverpool; By descent to his second son, Thomas Brocklebank (1841–1919); By descent to his third son, Captain Henry Cyril Royds Brocklebank, CBE, RN (1874–1957); Sold by his trustees through Agnew’s in 1942 to Wentworth Beaumont, 2nd Viscount Allendale (1890–1956); By descent to his son, Wentworth Hubert Charles Beaumont, 3rd Viscount Allendale (1922–2002); By whom sold (The Property of the Rt. Hon. The Viscount Allendale), London, Sotheby’s, 7 July 1965, lot 90, to Agnew’s, acting on behalf of an English private collector; Thence by descent.
3. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by The Arts Council, which advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
4. The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. www.artscouncil.org.uk.