Controversial Sale of Henry Moore Sculpture to Go Forward

Against the very vocal opposition of important figures in the British art world the council of the Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London decided on Wednesday to sell “Draped Seated Woman,” the 1957 bronze that Henry Moore sold to the London County Council at a steep discount in 1960. And the reason given for the decision by Lutfur Rahman, the mayor of Tower Hamlets, is basically: the Government is forcing his hand.

“It is with considerable regret that I make this decision,” the BBC quoted him as saying, “but I have a duty to ensure residents do not suffer from the brunt of the horrendous cuts being imposed on us.” Members of the council added that the cost of insuring the sculpture against vandalism and theft has become too great to bear.

When Moore sold the sculpture to the now-defunct London council it was with the understanding that it would remain on display in a public space near a housing project. On the theory that it would benef it the project's residents, Moore sold the work to the council for £6,000, a fraction of its value. But when the project was demolished, in the late 1990s, the piece was moved to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

The council's announcement recently that it was considering selling the work brought protests from Mary Moore, the sculptor's daughter, as well as the architect David Adjaye, the artist Jeremy Deller, the filmmaker Danny Boyle and the directors of the Henry Moore Foundation, the Tate Gallery and the Yorkshire park where the piece currently stands. They say that a sale would violate the spirit of Moore's original discount sale, and have suggested that the work should be moved to the Olympic Park, in London.

The Tower Hamlets council, however, is looking at a potential sale price estimated around $32 million, which would cushion it against cuts in government funding that are forcing the council to make drastic trims in its own budget. The piece is expec ted to be put up for auction early in 2013.