The plaster sculpture ‘Femme’ by Alberto Giacometti.
It has been sold to an overseas collector for a total of £2,083,500.
Femme is the only pure plaster by the artist known to be in the UK and was purchased by the painter Winifred Nicholson in the mid-1930s just as the European modern art movement began to influence British art.
The decision on the export licence application for the sculpture will be deferred until May 24 and may be extended until September if a serious intention to raise funds to match the purchase price emerges.
