SEVEN paintings by a 19th century Evesham artist bought at auction in London for almost £40,000 will go on display in a medieval Welsh castle.
The Journal has discovered that seven of the eight Richard Whitford paintings at auction in Bonhams on January 20, were bought by the National Trust and will go on display in Powis Castle in Welshpool.
The eight pictures, all of prize cows owned by the third Earl of Powis, were completed in the 1870s and sold for a total of £40,800 at the auction. A Prize Cow by a Gate was the most sought-after - being snapped up for £11,400.
Emile De Bruijn of the National Trust said: “They are charming pieces in themselves. They may look slightly strange in our modern eyes but they were very proud of these animals then. They illustrate the working life and agricultural life on the Powis estate in the 19th century.
“We bought seven out of the eight paintings on show as the eighth had some damage to it. However, we did still bid for all of them and it is a slight shame that we could not keep the whole set together.
“We will have to carry out some conservation work on them such as cleaning and repairing frames so that they can go on display as soon as possible - hopefully in the summer. I think they will prove very popular with visitors when they go on display.”
Powis Castle is a medieval castle, built by Welsh princes which rises above its celebrated garden which is famous around the world.
It has one of the finest collections of paintings and furniture in Wales and a collection of treasures from India displayed in the Clive Museum.
