The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) is a
committee
A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
government, advising the
Department of Culture, Media and Sport
, type = Department
, logo = Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport logo.svg
, logo_width =
, logo_caption =
, seal =
, seal_width =
, seal_caption =
, picture = Gove ...
(DCMS) on the export of
cultural property
Cultural property does not have a universal definition, but it is commonly considered to be tangible (physical, material) items that are part of the cultural heritage of a group or society, as opposed to less tangible cultural expressions. They in ...
. Some of its roles were shifted to the
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) was until May 2012 a non-departmental public body and registered charity in England with a remit to promote improvement and innovation in the area of museums, libraries and archives. Its function ...
(MLA) in 2005 after the Goodison Report and the Arts Council England now provides the secretariat to the Committee. It is currently chaired by Sir
, who was appointed on 17 March 2014 for a term of five years.
If an artwork is sold to a foreign buyer, it also advises the DCMS on whether to delay the granting of an export licence in order to allow time for a British buyer to raise funds to buy the work instead and keep it in the UK, if the committee decides the work is of high enough quality and has a sufficiently significant British connection - this is known as an export bar.
Waverley Criteria
The RCEWA was established in 1952, in accordance with the recommendations of the
Waverley Waverley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Waverley'' (novel), by Sir Walter Scott
** ''Waverley'' Overture, a work by Hector Berlioz inspired by Scott's novel
* Waverley Harrison, a character in the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Stree ...
Committee, and assesses the objects before it against the three "Waverley Criteria":
* Is it closely connected with our history and national life?
* Is it of outstanding aesthetic importance?
* Is it of outstanding significance for the study of some particular branch of art, learning or history?
The Committee designates an object as a "national treasure" if it considers that its departure
from the UK would be a misfortune on one or more of the above three grounds,
Chair
*
Lionel Robbins
Lionel Charles Robbins, Baron Robbins, (22 November 1898 – 15 May 1984) was a British economist, and prominent member of the economics department at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is known for his leadership at LSE, his proposed def ...
: 1952–1954.
*
Lord Cottesloe: 1954–1972.
*
Lord Perth : 1972–1976.
*
John White : 1976–1982.
*
Lord Plymouth : 1982–1985.
* Jonathan Scott : 1985–1995.
* Sir
John Guinness
Sir John Ralph Sidney Guinness CB (23 December 1935 – 27 July 2020) was a British civil servant and businessman.
Education and family
Guinness was educated at Rugby School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
In 1967 he married Valerie Susan No ...
: 1995–2003.
*
Lord Inglewood : 2003–2013.
* Sir
: 2014–2022.
* Andrew Hochhauser : 2022–
See also
*
Values (heritage)
The values embodied in cultural heritage are identified in order to assess significance, prioritize resources, and inform conservation decision-making. It is recognised that values may compete and change over time, and that heritage may have diff ...
*
Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino
''Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino'' is a landscape by British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner completed in 1839. It is Turner's final painting of Rome and had been in the possession of the family of the 5th Earl of Rosebery since 1878, until ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reviewing Committee On The Export Of Works Of Art
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
British art
Cultural organisations based in the United Kingdom
Cultural heritage of the United Kingdom
Non-departmental public bodies of the United Kingdom government