• The export bar is to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the painting
• The extremely rare painting depicts a black female sitter alongside her white companion, contributing to the historical debate about race and gender in the 17th century

Valued at £272,800, Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies, English School, dating to around 1650, is at risk of leaving the country unless a UK buyer can be found.

This extremely rare painting shows two women, one black and one white, side by side, presented as companions and equals with similar dress, hair and jewellery. The depiction of a black female sitter in a 1650s painting was highly unusual, particularly a work showing an adult, rather than a child in a position of subservience, inviting important debate about race and gender during the period.

Another remarkable aspect of the painting is the depiction of beauty patches on both the women. Although in vogue at the time, the painting appears to condemn wearing these “spots” via an inscription above the two women which claims wearing beauty patches is a sin of pride, a widespread opinion in the 17th century. This style of work gives the painting an affinity with popular woodcut prints at the time, making it clear the work is allegorical and associating it with satirical verse, pamphlets and sermons.

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

This fascinating painting has so much to teach us about England in the 17th century, including in the important areas of race and gender, which rightly continue to attract attention and research today. I hope a gallery or museum in the UK can be found to buy this painting for the nation, so that many more people can be part of the continuing research and discussion into it.

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 agreed that it is an extremely rare and fascinating painting, which has tremendous potential for further research in many subjects. The Committee found the early date of this picture particularly significant, given the subject, as all known comparisons are from much later.

Committee Members Pippa Shirley and Christopher Baker said:

This anonymous painting is a great rarity in British art, as a mid-seventeenth-century work that depicts a black woman and a white woman with equal status. It is not a portrait of real people, as far as we know, but the inscription reveals that it is in fact a sternly moralising picture that condemns the use of cosmetics, and specifically elaborate beauty patches, which were in vogue at the time.

Although not distinguished artistically, its imagery relates in fascinating ways to contemporary stereotypes of women, fashion, and, through the juxtaposition of the figures, race. The fact that it has only recently emerged, and only one other related painting is known so far, and that it could be used to explore important aspects of black culture in seventeenth-century Britain, makes it particularly important that it remains in this country so that its meaning can be widely studied and understood.

Further research could reveal how the picture connects with contemporary print culture and texts, and the contexts and purposes for which it might have been created and displayed.

The Committee made its recommendation on the grounds that the painting’s departure from the UK would be a misfortune because it is of outstanding significance to the study of race and gender in the 17th century.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred until 9 March 2022. 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 £272,800 (including VAT). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.
2. Details of the painting are as follows: British School
   Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies wearing Beauty Patches 1650s
   Oil on canvas
   640 x 750 mm
3. Provenance: by family descent in the family of Tyrell-Kenyon, Barons Kenyon of Gredington; sold Trevanion, Fine Art and Antiques sale, 23 June 2021, lot 564, sold for £220,000.
4. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by the 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.
5. Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. They invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision.  

• New protocols to be developed in partnership with medical experts and sports governing bodies
• A concussion research forum will be formed to address knowledge gaps
• Tech companies brought together to develop solutions for monitoring impact

The plan sets out steps that will be taken to improve understanding, awareness, prevention and treatment of concussion in sport in grassroots, educational and elite settings. This will be through a combination of improved research and the use of new technologies.

These include creating new protocols for sporting bodies, convening a research forum and bringing together tech companies to find new technological solutions designed to mitigate both the effects of concussion in sport and instances of it happening.

This comes as part of a response to the DCMS Select Committee Inquiry into concussion in sport, published in July 2021, which included recommendations for the Government.

Participation in sport and physical activity provides significant mental health and wellbeing benefits for people including reducing their risk of developing dementia in later life. Being active has been shown to help prevent or lower the risk of health conditions like stroke, heart disease, cancer and depression and can help reduce pressure on the NHS in the longer term.

However, in recent years there has been an increased focus on the negative health impacts from brain injury and concussion sustained while playing sport. This is due to advances in training, coaching, equipment and technology which have resulted in stronger, faster, better-trained players across all sports and at all levels.

As part of the Action Plan on Concussion, the Government will:

• Work with UK Sport, Sport England, the Devolved Administrations, sports governing bodies, player associations and schools to commission a single set of shared protocols – around concussion in sport across the UK to build on the work already done both domestically and internationally.

• The protocols will seek to include UK-wide agreement on issues such as how to recognise signs of head injury on and off the field, rules around removal from play and immediate actions to be taken in the event of head injuries.

• Require sports governing bodies to work closely with Player Associations on training protocols to improve players’ long-term welfare.

• Convene a sports concussion research forum in partnership with the Medical Research Council to bring together sports and academics to identify and fill gaps in research for the sector.

• As part of the forum, the Government and sports concussion charity Love of the Game will also work to identify technology that could mitigate concussion in sport with practical improvements for players being introduced by autumn 2022. A recent joint ‘hackathon’ has already produced potential solutions, being demonstrated at a Demo Day today in London.

• Address lack of data on the subject by supporting a world-leading research project by the University of Oxford, in partnership with sport concussion charity Podium Analytics. This will be the first project of its kind to look at incidences of concussions in general and in sport in this country as well as prevalence by individual sports, age and gender.

• Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston will write to UK Sport and Sport England to ensure funded bodies successfully implement the new protocols once developed.

Ministers will also aim to convene a roundtable in the weeks to come with tech companies. This will look at developing solutions to the technological and practical challenges around preventing and measuring head impacts that could aid player safety, such as mouthguard technology and portable brain scanning systems.

In partnership with the Government’s independent concussion advisor Laurence Geller, links will be strengthened so concussion in sport injuries are treated more effectively through NHS treatment pathways and the safety of players in all sports and of all levels, genders and ages is improved by June 2022.

Other government actions include working with Premier League clubs from early 2022 on a pilot scheme for player welfare to make sure considerations around concussion are embedded within organisations’ governance.

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said:

Sport brings so many physical and mental health benefits to our lives. However player safety must be absolutely paramount. Working with the sports industry it is right that we do all we can to ensure that people are as protected as possible and the risk of head injuries are minimised.

That’s why we’re taking steps to reduce this risk and developing new, gold-standard industry protocols and focusing on emerging tech that can help build a fuller picture of the risks involved.

Laurence Geller CBE, UK government independent concussion advisor and chairman of Love of the Game said:

All of us recognise the importance of sport in our lives. Whether professional or amateur, whatever age or skill level, we want to enjoy our sports whilst being protected from the potentially life changing impacts of head injuries; I therefore warmly welcome the work Government is doing to prevent and treat concussion in sport.

By making the game safer, we make the game better for everyone. But it’s not about changing the rules: it’s about working with experts from the medical profession, science and technology to devise protocols, knowledge, and equipment to allow us all to continue playing the sports we love.

I am pleased to have been able to work with the Government to capitalise on the momentum that is already building to tackle this important national issue. And I’m proud of the work Love of the Game has done in this field which includes encouraging the development of new technologies which will serve sports people of all ages and levels.

Simon Shaw MBE, Love of the Game Campaign President said:

As a former sportsperson competing at the highest level on the international stage, I’ve seen the impact of head injuries on those around me – and felt it myself. It is great to see positive steps being taken to tackle concussion in sport to help reduce risks associated with head injuries. As Co-founder of Love of the Game, we are really pleased to be working with Government to identify technology that could mitigate concussion in sport and excited to be showcasing some of the technology at our Demo Day later this afternoon in London.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• The Select Committee published its report and recommendations in July 2021, and the Government has responded to the Committee’s findings and recommendations throughout this report.

• Laurence Geller MBE was appointed as Ministerial Advisor on Concussion in Sport earlier this year.

The premiere of one of the biggest movies since the pandemic, James Bond: No Time To Die, was jointly hosted by British High Commissioner Christian Turner and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry at the Islamabad Club on Thursday (yesterday).

The red-carpet premiere was a high-profile event attended by Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, Minister for Industries Khusro Bakhtiar, National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf, music legend Attaullah Khan and others.

The guests also attended a special Bond-themed reception. The British High Commissioner and Minister for Information reiterated the deep ties between the UK and Pakistan and the potential for greater cultural exchanges, including in film and arts.

The High Commissioner announced a partnership with Patakha Films run by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and the Scottish Documentary Institute. The programme will work with 10 emerging female filmmakers to build their creative skills and help them produce short films with mentors from across Pakistan and the UK. The films will be launched under the British Council’s initiative ‘New Perspectives’ to mark Pakistan’s 75 years of independence next year.

Earlier in July, UK’s Bournemouth University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for a collaboration in the areas of technology, media, animation and gaming.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner, said:

James Bond is a cultural icon of the UK’s world-class film industry. As we mark Pakistan’s 75 years of independence in 2022, I hope we can have even more collaboration between our countries in the creative industries; the new partnership with Patakha Films is an example of that.

Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said:

I am grateful to British High Commissioner Christian Turner for his unequivocal support for restoration of international cinema in Pakistan. The Bond premiere in Pakistan with cooperation of the British High Commission is a step forward for further cultural collaboration between Pakistan and the UK. I congratulate the teams of the both the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the British High Commission on successfully organising the premiere and screening of ‘No Time To Die’, the 25th instalment in the all-time favourite Bond series.

James Bond: No Time To Die releases countrywide in cinemas today, December 10 (Friday).

Sigma Motors, distributor of Land Rover, an official partner of the Bond film, provided support during the premiere with a Land Rover Defender exhibited outside the cinema.

Notes to editors:

1. British Pakistani Laraib Atta, daughter of music maestro Attaullah Khan (who attended the premiere as a special guest), did the VFX for No Time To Die. Laraib also recorded a special video message which was played at the premiere.

2. British High Commissioner Christian Turner was sporting an Omega watch at the premier in Islamabad, as was Deputy High Commissioner Mike Nithavrianakis in Karachi, courtesy the Swiss watch company.

3. A Bond-themed black tie event was held on December 3 at the British Deputy High Commission, Karachi. It was a star-studded affair attended by business leaders and celebrities including Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, and Mehwish Hayat among others.

4. Next year marks 75 years of Pakistan’s independence. To celebrate it, British Council and British High Commission will launch ‘New Perspectives’. The initiative will support the youth with their ambitions, equipping women to succeed, and collaborating for a future that is environmentally, economically, and culturally prosperous.

5. The James Bond franchise has featured Pakistan on multiple occasions. In the 2006 Daniel Craig debut, Casino Royale, Bond earns his stripes in the ‘00’ Branch by killing a traitorous Section Chief’s contact in a bathroom in Lahore. In the 1997 film, Tomorrow Never Dies, a senior executive of the Carver Media Group Network reports that his division is responsible for several floods in Pakistan. In the film The Living Daylights (1987), Bond discovers that a hijacked plane is running out of fuel and is forced to perform an emergency touch-and-go landing in Pakistan.

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