A PAINTING of great significance in the history of Spanish art will be seen publicly for the first time in more than half-a-century next month.

The Last Communion of Saint Peter Nolasco forms the centrepiece of the show 17th Century Spanish Painting: The Golden Age which opens at The Bowes Museum on Saturday, October 11.

The 1611 painting is one of six created for a convent in Seville, which is now the Museo de Bellas Artes, by Francisco Pacheco, an important figure in Spanish art.

It was donated to The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, in 1964 in memory of the museum’s former deputy director Tony Ellis.

Jon Old, the museum’s conservation manager, said: “It was in storage from the 1960s to the 1990s, but in the early 70s a thick coat of varnish was applied to stabilise the paint, an accepted practice in those days.”

It has since been cleaned and restored by various conservators, including Mr Old.

He added: “Those who saw the painting in its previous state will certainly see a massive difference.

“It will definitely take pride of place in the exhibition.”

The exhibition, curated by Spanish art specialist Veronique Powell, former chief curator and senior lecturer at the Sorbonne in Paris, runs until Sunday, February 1.

It will feature other internationally important paintings from the Museo del Prado and the National Gallery in London.

It runs concurrently with an exhibition at Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, and along with public lectures and a major conference are part of a joint collaboration between The Bowes Museum, Auckland Castle and Durham University, backed by the National Gallery and Museo del Prado, aimed at securing the profile of County Durham as an internationally renowned centre for Spanish art.

For details visit the website thebowesmuseum.org.uk