Incredibly rare maps of the defeat of the Spanish Armada at risk of export
Culture Minister stops export of ten hand-drawn maps depicting the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588
Valued at 拢600,000 the works are the only surviving contemporary drawings of the battle
- Valued at 拢600,000 the works are the only surviving contemporary drawings of the battle
Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage has placed an export bar on a set of ten hand drawn maps of the defeat of the Spanish Armada valued at 拢600,000 plus VAT.
It is hoped that a UK gallery or institution will come forward to acquire the treasures for the nation which depict the greatest naval battle of the early modern period. 皇冠体育app drawings were completed by an unknown draughtsman, possibly from the Netherlands and are undated, although are thought to be from the years immediately after the battle.
皇冠体育app defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 has a totemic place in English history and has been employed at various moments of national crisis including the threats of invasion from Napoleonic France and Nazi Germany.
皇冠体育app most famous images of the battle extant are a series of engravings completed in 1590 by Augustine Ryther. 皇冠体育app original drawings have been lost and the maps at risk of export are a very rare survivor of this iconic moment of history.
Although the works are highly unlikely to be the preliminary drawings for the Ryther engravings, it is also unlikely that they were copied from the engravings. 皇冠体育appre is a possibility that the works are copies of the drawings by Robert Adams that were used by Ryther. 皇冠体育app works appear to have been abandoned mid-way through completion following the publication of the Ryther engravings as a number included Dutch text of a type accompanying the engravings while others did not.
皇冠体育app committee noted that the drawings offered a rare, contemporary insight into the artistic material culture, often associated with Queen Elizabeth I, that followed the battle.
Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said:
皇冠体育app defeat of the Spanish Armada is central to the historical tale of what makes Britain great. It鈥檚 the story of plucky England defeating a greater foe and helped to create the world we live in today. 皇冠体育appse incredibly rare drawings are a very important part of the story of our nation and I hope, even in these challenging times, that a buyer can be found so they can be enjoyed by members of the public for generations.
皇冠体育app Minister鈥檚 decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). 皇冠体育app committee noted that the works offered a rich resource for the study of the development of the marine painting genre and the outstanding research potential offered by the drawings due to their rarity.
皇冠体育app RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the drawing鈥檚 outstanding significance for the study of the Armada story on British history and identity and how it affected marine depictions.
Committee member Peter Barber said:
Robert Adams, Surveyor of the Queen鈥檚 Works, and military engineer, was one of the most skilled cartographic draughtsmen of Elizabethan England, the delicacy of his work resembling the finesse of miniaturists such as Hilliard. His maps of the Armada, engraved in significantly amended form by Augustine Ryther, became the official image of one of the most celebrated episodes in English history. 皇冠体育appir importance in the creation of England鈥檚 historic self- image cannot be exaggerated. 皇冠体育appy provided the models for tapestries which served as a backdrop for the proceedings of the House of Lords and for nearly 250 years.
皇冠体育appse drawings are as close as one is ever likely to get, in the absence of the originals, to the appearance of Adams鈥檚 manuscript maps but there is much fresh information that can be gleaned from them. That they were probably copied, surreptitiously, by a Dutch artist for illicit publication in the Netherlands demonstrates the importance of the defeat of the Armada not only for England but for Europe as a whole. 皇冠体育app drawings need to be saved for the nation so that the full story behind the creation of these iconic images can be properly researched.
皇冠体育app decision on the export licence application for the drawings will be deferred until 9 October 2020. This may be extended until 9 January 2021 if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of 拢600,000 plus VAT.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the drawings should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.
- Details of the drawings are as follows: A set of ten ink and watercolour drawings on paper depicting the progress and defeat of the Spanish Armada. 皇冠体育app drawings are by an unknown draughtsman, possibly from the Netherlands, and are undated. 皇冠体育appy are in generally good condition.
- Provenance: 皇冠体育app drawings were in the possession of Roger Wilbraham MP (1743-1829) in 1828. 皇冠体育app earlier provenance is not known. 皇冠体育app Wilbraham family sold the drawings at Sotheby鈥檚 sale of 20 June 1898. 皇冠体育appy were bought by J. Pearson and Co., a London bookseller, and later sold to William Waldorf Astor (1848-1919). After this, ownership transferred by descent until the recent sale.
- 皇冠体育app Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by 皇冠体育app Arts Council, 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.
- 皇冠体育app Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people鈥檚 lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries 鈥� from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. www.artscouncil.org.uk.