Chronological coverage updated 11th September 2026 17:37.
Update 1 · 11th September 2026
Sir Stanley Spencer Painting Faces Temporary Export Ban to Secure UK Purchase
A temporary export bar has been placed on an early masterpiece by Sir Stanley Spencer in an effort to keep the artwork in the UK. The Resurrection of the Good and the Bad, completed in 1915, is a diptych that represents the artist's initial exploration of resurrection, a theme that became central to his lifetime body of work.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced that the export ban followed formal recommendations from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). Arts minister Ruth Mackenzie accepted the decision to allow British galleries and public heritage bodies time to secure funding.
Historical significance and funding target
The recommended purchase price required to retain the Sir Stanley Spencer artwork in the UK is £450,000. — according to Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
BBC News reportedly quoted Mark Hallett (member of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest) as saying: “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.”.
BBC News reportedly quoted Mark Hallett (member of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest) as saying: “It is imperative that we try and keep it in the UK.”.
Sir Stanley Spencer was born in Cookham, Berkshire, in 1891 and lived there for most of his life until his death in 1959. Interested buyers and institutions have until mid-December to submit bids matching the £450,000 recommended valuation.
- The UK government has deferred an export license for Stanley Spencer's £450,000 diptych until mid-December.
- The 1915 painting is considered crucial for understanding Spencer's development of resurrection themes.
