A sculpture of one of the most famous
medieval royals of all is under government scrutiny.

The bust of Edward of Woodstock,
better known as The Black Prince, is now subject to an export bar
from ministers. It means that the marble sculpture cannot be taken
overseas by a new buyer until the barring runs out. It’s hoped that
a museum or institution in the UK will bid for it t save it for the
nation.

The work of art shows The Black
Prince at the height of his military career. Edward of Woodstock
was the eldest son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault and
was heir to the throne from his birth, in June 1330, until his
death in June 1376. His father died a year after him and so The
Black Prince never began king. The crown instead passed to his
younger son who became Richard II.

Edward of Woodstock was one of the
most successful military commanders of the 14th century and played
a crucial part in England’s successes at the start of the Hundred
Years’ War. He played a crucial role at the Battle of Crecy and was
the victor at the Battle of Poitiers.

He was also seen as an example of a
near perfect knight at a time when chivalry and courtly love were
seen as ideals. He also had a complicated romantic life, eventually
marrying Joan of Kent who had been married before. His famous
nickname is said to have come from his black suit of armur.

The bust at the subject of the
government order was created in the 18th century for another long
serving heir who never became king. Frederick, Prince of Wales
commissioned the bust in 1735. He had become heir in 1727 on the
accession of his father as King George II. Frederick was heir until
his death in 1751 with George II living until 1760. Frederick’s son
inherited the Crown as King George III.

Frederick, Prince of Wales asked one
of the most respected sculptors of the time, Michael Rysbrack, to
create the likeness of The Black Prince and in the three centuries
since, it has been used as the basis for most images of Edward of
Woodstock. Its crucial role in the development of the
representation of a major figure in medieval history is one of the
reasons the government has put a temporary export bar on it.

The details of the order mean that
there is a ban on it leaving the country which initially runs until
February 5 2027. UK museums and organisations have until then to
raise the money needed to purchase the bust – it has a recommended
price of £496,044.51 plus VAT meaning the total to pay will be over
£500,000.

Speaking as the bar was announced,
the Heritage Minister, Baroness Twycroft, said ‘‘This striking
sculpture of Edward the Black Prince still defines how we imagine
this legendary figure in British history. For nearly three hundred
years it has shaped how we tell the story of our medieval history
and I hope that in a public gallery in the UK it can tell that
story much more powerfully for many more years to come.”

The Reviewing Committee on the Export
of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) advised
the minister while the bar was contemplated. RCEWA member, Stuart
Lochhead, said ‘‘Michael Rysbrack was one of the most important
sculptors of eighteenth-century Britain, developing a classicising
style that established a new taste for portraiture, monuments and
statuary. This handsome marble bust of Edward, the Black Prince,
served a particular purpose for Georgian patrons and the royal
court, who used such portraits for dynastic and patriotic
self-fashioning, aligning themselves with a lineage of English
kingship and chivalric virtue that would define imagery for
generations.”

Stuart Lochhead added ‘‘ It
is one of the finest and earliest known busts of this genre, and
its export from the United Kingdom would be a great loss to
scholarship and our understanding of Georgian society.”

Institutions and museums interested
in buying the sculpture should contact rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk.