Minister acts to stop pivotal British Modernist painting from leaving the UK
The government has temporarily blocked ‘The Resurrection of the Good and the Bad’ by Stanley Spencer, a painting considered pivotal in the development of British Modernism, from being taken out of the UK permanently.
- A UK gallery or institution has been granted the opportunity to save this national treasure
The UK Government has blocked a First World War era painting by Stanley Spencer from being taken out of the country permanently, in the hope that a UK gallery or institution can save it for the nation.
British artist Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) is credited as one of the nation’s foremost modern artists and is renowned for a series of artworks he created on the theme of resurrection, which shaped the artistic direction of British Modernism.
The Resurrection of the Good and the Bad is significant amongst this series as his first piece exploring this topic. If acquired by a UK museum or gallery, it would be the earliest publicly held example of Spencer’s Resurrection paintings and would present an immensely valuable opportunity for the study of Spencer’s exploration of this theme.
The government’s decision to place a temporary export ban on the painting gives museums and galleries time to raise the funds needed to acquire it, with the aim of keeping this important work in the UK and on public display.
Spencer created the work in 1915, before he began his First World War service. It presents a rare window into Spencer’s beliefs as war was beginning to have an impact on his life, but before his direct experience of conflict.
The painting is a diptych: an artwork spread across two panels. The figures on the left represent the Good arising on the Day of Judgement, whilst the Bad are on the right. The work is in oil on canvas, and each panel is around 80 x 63 cm.
Arts Minister Ruth Mackenzie said:
I hope this export bar can allow the public access to this major piece from one of the most important British artists of the twentieth century.
RCEWA committee member, Mark Hallett said:
Stanley Spencer was one of the most important British painters of the twentieth century, and his diptych The Resurrection of the Good and the Bad, executed in 1915, offers his first serious engagement with a theme that was to become of seminal importance to his art and philosophy. Many of Spencer’s most celebrated pictures, including Tate’s The Resurrection, Cookham, of 1924-27, focused on this biblical narrative of the Resurrection, transplanting it to a variety of modern, British settings. The Resurrection of the Good and the Bad is crucial to a better understanding of this central strand of Spencer’s artistic practice and is deserving of a great deal more research. It is imperative that we try and keep it in the UK.
The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA).
The Committee made its recommendation on the basis that the painting met the third Waverley criterion for its outstanding significance to the study of the work of Stanley Spencer and his exploration of the Resurrection theme.
The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred for an initial period ending on 10 December 2026 inclusive in which we welcome expressions of interest from an appropriate purchaser to try and acquire the object. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £450,000. The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for four months.
Notes to editors:
- Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 02072680534 or rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk.
- Details of the ITEM are as follows: The Resurrection of the Good and the Bad; Oil on canvas, diptych; 635 x 787 mm (each); Painted 1915
- Provenance: Purchased from the artist by James Wood, 1915; Elizabeth Wood, UK; Browse and Darby, London; Private collection, UK from the above in 1980; Thence by descent; Purchased by current owner, from the above, 2026.
- The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by Arts Council England (ACE), 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.