Picture credit: Roger Fenton
A precious picture by pioneering British photographer Roger Fenton, famous for his images of the Crimean War, is a step closer to being saved for the nation.
In March, the Government placed an export ban on the 1858 photo in the hope that a buyer would come forward to buy it.
A spokesman for the Museums Libraries & Archives has since confirmed that it has received a ?serious expression of interest? from a potential purchaser for the image which is entitled ‘Pasha and Bayadère’ and valued at £108,506.
The move has led the Government to extend the export licence application decision until 1 August.
Fenton, who died in 1869, is credited as one of the first war photographers.
He recorded Pasha and Bayadère as part of a series of 50 Orientalist photos, inspired by his expedition to the Crimea.
The photo, which was staged in a London studio, shows the photographer (pictured centre) dressed as a Turkish military or civil official (Pasha), watching a dancing girl (Bayadère) perform.
It is one of only two examples of this image, the other being in the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest described it as a ?remarkable image – the work is also important for the study of the history of photography?.
