A temporary export bar has been placed on Le Rêve de L’Artiste, a painting by the influential 18th-century French artist Jean-Antoine Watteau, to allow time for a UK gallery
or institution to acquire the artwork and keep it in the country.
Valued at £6,075,000 (plus VAT of £215,020), the painting is at risk of leaving the UK unless a domestic buyer steps forward to preserve this important piece of cultural history.
Watteau, a pioneering figure in the Rococo movement, was known for his unique and imaginative style. He was particularly famous for creating the Fête Galante genre—small, intimate scenes often depicting the psychology of love in lush, natural landscapes. Le Rêve de L’Artiste is an ambitious and complex work, featuring around two dozen figures in a surreal, structured environment, reflecting some of the artist's own dreams. This painting stands apart from much of Watteau’s other work, which typically presented idyllic, untamed landscapes.
The painting has a significant historical connection to Britain, having been purchased in 1736 by Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. It was displayed in Lady Walpole’s dressing room at 10 Downing Street during the latter years of his administration.
Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:
This painting was once owned by our first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and was hanging for several years in 10 Downing Street, so Watteau’s Le Rêve de L’Artiste has a fascinating connection to British History, offering us insights into the tastes and development of art in Britain in the 18th century. It portrays the artist’s dream, but perhaps its surreal fantasia inspired political dreams as well. Either way, it is an important and unusual work by a genius.
I hope a UK buyer has the opportunity to purchase this work so it can continue to be studied and enjoyed by the public.”
The Minister’s decision to place the export bar follows advice from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). The committee determined that the painting meets the third Waverley criterion, which recognizes its outstanding significance for the study of the collections in which it was included and its early, highly unusual depiction of dream imagery.
Committee Member Mark Hallett said:
“This beautiful, enigmatic painting showcases Watteau’s extraordinary originality, and provides us with one of Western art’s earliest and most profound representations of the process of artistic creativity. It gives us a fascinating insight not only into Watteau’s thinking as a painter, but into wider eighteenth-century concepts of inspiration and imagination. As such, Le Rêve de l’Artiste has a special, almost unique status in the artist’s output. This is a work that cries out for further research, interpretation and appreciation, and that fully deserves being retained for the nation”.
The decision on the export license will be deferred until 29 November 2024. If a UK buyer comes forward, the owners will have a 15-business-day period to consider any offers to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £6,075,000 (plus VAT). If an Option Agreement is signed, the deferral period will extend for an additional six months.