{"id":12408,"date":"2026-01-15T00:44:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T00:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=12408"},"modified":"2026-01-15T00:44:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T00:44:24","slug":"churchills-desk-and-rare-artwork-among-items-donated-to-uk-cultural-institutions-arts-council-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=12408","title":{"rendered":"Churchill\u2019s desk and rare artwork among items donated to UK cultural institutions | Arts Council England"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Winston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli\u2019s desk, a painting by Vanessa Bell and a rare artwork by Edgar Degas are among the items of cultural importance saved for the nation this year.<\/p>\n

The items, worth a total of \u00a359.7m, will be allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives around the UK as part of Art<\/a> Council England\u2019s cultural gifts and acceptance in lieu schemes.<\/p>\n

Some items were accepted for their outstanding rarity, cultural value or technical skills, while others offer insights into the UK\u2019s history through some of the nation\u2019s most renowned public figures.<\/p>\n

The Regency mahogany standing desk used by Churchill and Disraeli during their times as prime minister has been allocated to the National Trust\u2019s Hughenden Manor, Disraeli\u2019s former country house. Churchill is thought to have used the desk when working on wartime speeches, and it is visible in photographs from 1943 of Churchill\u2019s bedroom in the Downing Street annexe.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>The Regency mahogany standing desk used by Churchill and Disraeli during their times as prime minister has been allocated to the National Trust\u2019s Hughenden Manor, Disraeli\u2019s former country house.<\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of Cochrane Adams Fine Art Agents<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The still life painting by Bell \u2013 sister of the writer Virginia Woolf \u2013 is called Vase, Flowers and Bowl, and has been allocated to the Charleston Trust for display at Charleston House, Firle. The painting marks a mid-point between Bell\u2019s earlier abstract works and her later more realistic style.<\/p>\n

Danseuses roses, a vivid pastel by Degas that shows four young dancers at rest, has been allocated to the National Gallery in London. The work is said to reflect Degas\u2019s interest in recording the intimate lives of working-class women \u2013 milliners, laundresses and especially dancers.<\/p>\n

The cultural gifts scheme (CGS) enables UK taxpayers to donate important cultural objects to the nation in return for a percentage reduction in tax based on the value of the item donated.<\/p>\n

This year, the scheme also included a collection of the photographer and photojournalist Bill Brandt\u2019s work, which has been allocated to the Tate. Brandt was one of many emigrants from Nazi Germany to Britain, and the collection includes some of the annotated prints used by Brandt for his publications.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>A photograph by Bill Brandt. A collection of his work has been allocated to the Tate.<\/span> Photograph: Bill Brandt\/National Galleries of Scotland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The acceptance in lieu scheme (AIL) allows those who have an inheritance tax bill to pay it by transferring important cultural, scientific or historic objects to the nation. The scheme was created in Lloyd George\u2019s people\u2019s budget of 1910.<\/p>\n

Other highlights in the scheme this year include the political archive of Lord Geoffrey Howe, one of the leading political figures in the decades after the second world war, who served as chancellor, foreign secretary, deputy prime minister and leader of the House of Commons during Margaret Thatcher\u2019s time in office. The archive has been transferred to the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford.<\/p>\n

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<\/svg><\/span>Geoffrey Howe\u2019s national service journal.<\/span> Photograph: Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are also deeds related to the four knights of King Henry II who murdered Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury. The four documents provide an intimate insight into the fates of three of the four assailants who were behind one of the most notorious events in medieval history. They have been transferred to the South West Heritage Trust, Taunton.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a portrait by Pompeo Batoni, one of the most sought-after portraitists in 18th-century Rome, has been transferred to the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle. The portrait of Martha Swinburne will be reunited with that of her husband, Henry, at the gallery.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>A portrait of Martha Swinburne by Pompeo Batoni. It will be reunited with that of her husband at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle.<\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of Sothebys<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nicholas Serota, the chair of Arts Council England<\/a>, said the schemes were \u201cvital routes\u201d to securing unique objects for generations of visitors to enjoy. \u201cThe diverse items outlined in this report will allow more communities to enjoy and better understand our shared cultural heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Clarke, the chair of the acceptance in lieu panel, said it was the most prolific year for the scheme since 2020. \u201cFrom the furnishings that stood in the halls of power during moments of great national peril, to the touching personal story of Martha Swinburne\u2019s portrait being reunited with her husband\u2019s in the Laing Gallery, Newcastle, every AIL and CGS allocation is unique and contributes something new to our public collections and their audiences,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#Churchills #desk #rare #artwork #among #items #donated #cultural #institutions #Arts #Council #England<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winston Churchill and Benjamin… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12408"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}