Early Niagara Falls painting prompts brouhaha in Britain
A historic painting of Niagara Falls is causing a stir in Britain.
The country's culture minister, Ed Valzey, has ordered a temporary export ban on a 1762 piece by artist Captain Thomas Davies, believed to be the first eyewitness painting of the falls.
Titled An East View of the Great Cataract of Niagara, the painting was sold for about US$237,000 at by the Christie's art auction house in London in April to a confidential buyer, which the BBC reports is foreign and likely to take the work abroad.
On Wednesday, Valzey told the BBC the piece “not only provides us with the first real glimpse of Niagara Falls, but it also sheds light on Britain's achievements in 18th century exploration, military and topographical art.”
The government hopes a U.K. buyer will come forward to match the sale price and keep the painting in Britain.
Clark Bernat, the culture and museums manager for Niagara Falls, followed the painting's sale with interest in April. The piece, however, isn't on its way to the Niagara Falls History Museum.
“Not quite in my budget,” he said with a laugh.
“We certainly talked to some local people who we thought might be able to make a go at it, (in the) hope that it might come back to Niagara.”
Bernat doesn't know the buyer, but would “certainly love to see” the painting return to Niagara Falls — even temporarily.
“It's a fabulous early depiction, for sure,” he said. “I'd love to see it in real life. “I don't have any sense of the scope or the size, but just to have an ability to see that would be wonderful. Finding somewhere in North America, even, to get it over would be wonderful.”
Britain's Department of Culture, Media and Sport says Davies was a highly regarded painter and the first military artist to capture Niagara Falls.
The piece was previously owned by British collector Peter Winkworth, who died in 2005. Among his collection were several paintings of Canadian scenes.
The British government has placed an export ban on the piece until Nov. 18, but it could be extended to February 2016 if a U.K. buyer isn't found.
Bernat understands the dilemma of governments, which don't like to see important cultural works leave their countries.
“We do that; we put cultural property protection on items leaving our country as well,” he said.
"It is a general standard practice for things of utmost importance. Countries have seen things disappear to other countries, never to come back again.
“If something belonging to Tecumseh or Joe Brant (was sold), would we want to see that in an American institution? Or Greece? It's there for good reasons, in many ways.”