Overview

• The sculpture was sold at Christie’s in March 2024 for £3.8 million and subsequently given a temporary export bar to allow a UK institution to match the purchase price
• The Hepworth Wakefield and national charity Art Fund launched the fundraising drive in early 2025 to secure the work for public display in the artist’s birthplace
• Art Fund has contributed £750,000 toward the total and the campaign must close its funding gap by 27 August 2025 to prevent the piece leaving the country
• High-profile backers including Jenny Eclair, Sir Antony Gormley, Sir Anish Kapoor, Jonathan Anderson and Dame Rachel Whiteread have publicly endorsed the appeal
• Crafted in 1943 from painted wood and string as part of Hepworth’s wartime series, the sculpture was last exhibited in the UK at Tate Britain in 2015