Rare sculpture of scandalous Victorian heiress at risk of leaving the UK
An export bar has been placed on Henri-Joseph François, Baron De Triqueti’s sculpture of Florence and Alice Campbell (1857).
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Valued at £280,000, the sculpture includes a depiction of a woman embroiled in a Victorian scandal
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The export bar will allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the sculpture for the nation
An export bar has been placed on a rare sculpture by Henri-Joseph François, Baron De Triqueti, allowing time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire it.
The sculpture is a unique double portrait and is of particular value because the location of so many of Triqueti’s works are unknown. The artwork stands nearly two metres tall, with the portrait carved in marble, set atop a rosewood and marble inset plinth.
Henri de Triqueti was an influential Victorian sculptor, who appears to have been inspired by Florentine and Renaissance portrait sculpture. It is hoped that the acquisition of the work by a UK institution may allow further study, unlocking more insights into the artist’s methods and practices. Triqueti’s work also presents an enticing opportunity for the further study of Victorian women.
The sculpture’s focus are young sisters, Florence and Alice Campbell. It was commissioned by the girls’ father, Robert Tertius Campbell, an Australian businessman who is credited with introducing innovative agricultural techniques to his Oxfordshire estate, Buscot Park.
Florence Campbell later found notoriety herself, being implicated in the unexplained death of her husband - a scandal which has inspired everything from an Agatha Christie novel to true crime podcasts today.
Culture Minister, Baroness Twycross said:
We’re fortunate that this striking sculpture has survived in such excellent condition. This level of marblework demonstrates an incredible degree of craftsmanship and presents a beautiful depiction of these young girls.
I hope that we can find a UK buyer so that it can continue to delight visitors and provide opportunities for future generations to learn more about the story behind this piece and its sculptor.
Stuart Lochhead, Committee Member:
Baron Triqueti navigated various worlds, enjoying the patronage of King Louis-Philippe of France and Queen Victoria. He moved in high society and exhibited at the Paris Salon and in London. Deeply versed in Renaissance masters, his style would shape a generation of sculptors in Britain. However, this rare and beautiful double-portrait relief demonstrates how much remains to be uncovered about this talented artist’s practice and patronage networks. Much can be gleaned also from the relief’s commission by Robert Tertius Campbell, an Australian tycoon who settled in England and introduced innovative agricultural methods. The loss of such an exceptional and unusual portrait from the UK would be most unfortunate.
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 relief met the second and third Waverley criteria for its outstanding aesthetic importance and its outstanding significance to the study of Triqueti’s sources, work practices, patronage networks, and the commissioning of medallion portraits by English families. It was also of outstanding significance to the study of the role of Victorian women and to development of estate management ideas.
The decision on the export licence application for the relief will be deferred for a period ending on 13 February 2026 inclusive. 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 relief at the recommended price of £280,000 (plus VAT). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months.
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Notes to editors
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Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the relief should contact the RCEWA on 02072680534 or rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk.
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Details of the ITEM are as follows: Medallion Portrait of Florence and Alice Campbell by Henri-Joseph-François, Baron de Triqueti (1804-1874); Dated and signed: 1857 / H. de TRIQUETI ; Marble, on a rosewood and verde-antica marble inset plinth with ormolu mouldings; Marble: H. 72.5 cm, W. 60.5 cm, D. 13 cm; Plinth: H. 113cm, W. 78 cm, D. 26 cm
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Provenance: Commissioned probably by the sitters’ father, Robert Tertius Campbell, ca.1857; Christie’s 18 July 1983, lot 31 (not sold); Sotheby’s, 13 June 1984, lot 240 (sold); Presumed to have been purchased by the The Bernard Kelly Collection,1984; Lyon & Turnbull, 15th January 2025, lot 181 (sold)
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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 Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.