The UK government has taken steps to keep in thecountry two oil paintings that gave the 18th Century British public their firstchance to see what a kangaroo and a dingo looked like.A temporaryexport bar has been placed on the two George Stubbs works, which went ondisplay in London in 1773.
However,potential buyers will have to come up with £5.5m if the paintings are to stayin the UK.
Stubbs wasunable to paint the animals in the flesh so used spoken accounts.
He also madesketches after inflating the preserved skin of a kangaroo.
The KongouroFrom New Holland (The Kangaroo) and Portrait of a Large Dog (The Dingo) werefirst shown at London's Royal Academy in 1773.
They have beenpraised for bringing the animals, most closely identified with Australia, tothe attention of the British public.
The works arethought to have been commissioned by Sir Joseph Banks following his part inCaptain James Cook's first voyage of discovery to the Pacific.
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey announced the export barfollowing a recommendation by the reviewingcommittee on the export of works of art and objects of cultural interest.
Committee chairman Lord Inglewood said it would be a"terrible shame" to lose the "extraordinary paintings" toan overseas buyer.
"They were the British public's firstintroduction to these exotic animals from the Australasian New World which wasopening up at that time," he said.
The export bar remains in place until 5 August, andcan be extended until 5 November if a serious intention to raise funds to buythe paintings for £5.5m is made.
Source: BBC
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