£3.8m appeal to prevent nationally significant Barbara Hepworth sculpture from leaving UK
Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red (1943) is a unique work by a titan of modern British art. This pivotal sculpture is at risk of being lost overseas unless £3.8m can be raised to secure it for permanent public display in Wakefield, the city in which Hepworth was born and brought up.
The appeal is backed by artists and creatives including Jonathan Anderson, Richard Deacon, Jenny Éclair, Sir Antony Gormley, Katy Hessel, Sir Anish Kapoor, Veronica Ryan, Joanna Scanlan and Dame Rachel Whiteread.
Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) is one of the most important artists of the 20th century whose art has defined what we think of as modern sculpture today. A pioneer of abstract sculpture, she was at the forefront of the direct carving movement and is well known for her innovative stringed works, of which Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red is one of the earliest and best examples.
Created under astonishing circumstances during the Second World War, this distinctive work marks a breakthrough in Hepworth’s career.
In private ownership since its creation and rarely seen in public, Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red was placed under an export bar by the UK government to give a museum the chance to acquire it for everyone to enjoy. The Hepworth Wakefield, which is named for the artist and tells the story of her working life, is determined to meet the challenge. It can only do so with support from donations of every size, making this a crucial moment for art lovers and the public to help secure this extraordinary work for future generations.
Art Fund has already committed an exceptional grant of £750,000, alongside early pledges from generous individuals and trusts. But if the remaining £2.9m is not raised to meet the deadline of 27 August 2025, the sculpture will go to a private buyer and be taken overseas.
An extremely rare work, Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red is one of only a handful of wooden carvings made by Hepworth during the 1940s, and one of the first major wood carvings she made using strings. In 1939, on the brink of the Second World War, Hepworth moved her young family – including her four-year-old triplets – from London to the relative safety of St Ives, Cornwall. She had little time for work, no studio space, and limited access to materials. It was not until 1943 that she moved into a house large enough to have a small studio and was granted a special permit to use wood for sculpting. At night, she picked up her chisel once again to make this extraordinary sculpture.
The only one of Hepworth’s works to include multi-coloured strings, which are pulled taut against a pale blue interior, the sculpture reflects Hepworth’s experiences of the Cornish landscape around her. The work was extremely important to Hepworth; its plaster prototype (later destroyed) was the only work she brought with her when she moved to St Ives. Embodying Hepworth’s personal resilience as well as a turning point in her artistic development, it is of huge significance to understanding not only the artist, but also the history of modern British art.
Sculpture in Britain would not be the same without Barbara Hepworth. The export bar – administered only in exceptional circumstances – reflects the importance of Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red’s, citing the work’s aesthetic importance, significance to the study of Hepworth and connection with the UK’s history and national life.
Save Hepworth's sculpture for everyone
The Hepworth Wakefield and Art Fund are fundraising to save a vital work by one of the UK’s most important artists. Join our campaign now.
The Hepworth Wakefield is home to Wakefield’s art collection, which includes significant works by Barbara Hepworth as well as the Hepworth Family Gift, a group of Hepworth’s prototypes that allow visitors to see the marks of her tools and observe up close how she worked. The museum holds works from throughout Hepworth’s career, including outstanding examples of abstract carvings from the 1920s and 1930s that launched her career, as well as iconic sculptures from the 1950s and 1960s.
However, Wakefield does not own any finished works by Hepworth from the 1940s, one of the most pivotal periods in the artist’s development. If the funds are raised in time, the acquisition of Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red would fill this significant gap allowing the full story of Hepworth’s career to be told, and cementing the museum’s reputation as one of the most important centres for the study and enjoyment of Barbara Hepworth in the world. As a star piece in The Hepworth’s collection, it will also be lent to other museums and galleries across the UK, opening up access for people everywhere.
None of this will be possible if the work is lost to the nation and exported overseas.
Simon Wallis, Director, The Hepworth Wakefield, said:
“We established The Hepworth Wakefield 14 years ago to celebrate, explore and build on Barbara Hepworth’s legacy. This sculpture is the missing piece, a masterpiece which deserves to be on display in the town where Hepworth was born.”
Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said:
“This rare and significant sculpture should be on public display in the UK now and for generations to come. Every museum should have the power to secure landmark works of art but in today’s challenging funding climate they simply cannot compete with the prices demanded on the open market. We applaud The Hepworth Wakefield for the huge ambition of their bid to bring this Hepworth home. If we all come together, we can save this extraordinary piece of our history for the UK, so we’re asking for donations of all sizes to be made through artfund.org/hepworth.”
Rachel Whiteread, Artist, said:
“Barbara Hepworth was a true pioneer, paving the way for artists past and present. A dedicated sculptor and mother who continually made work through a very challenging period in history.”
Richard Deacon, Artist, said:
“It’s a testament to the undaunted spirit of a great artist... It should be held in a public collection in the UK for the benefit of all.”
Anish Kapoor, Artist, said:
"Barbara Hepworth's Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red must be saved for the nation. Art fund has put up a quarter of the value of this important sculpture in an extraordinary bid to keep this work in a public collection and accessible to all. This sculpture comes from a period of work by Hepworth in which she explores form and emptiness and looks forward to radical modernity."
Antony Gormley, Artist, said:
“Barbara Hepworth's work remains a luminary example of both an engagement with modernism and a return to direct carving. The opportunity for the museum named after her to acquire this important work is precious and should be supported."
Maria Balshaw, Director, Tate, said:
"Barbara Hepworth's work continues to capture the imagination today. This is a hugely exciting opportunity to ensure her exceptional sculpture can be enjoyed by the public, now and for generations to come."