"CHARLES I INSULTED BY CROMWELL'S SOLDIERS" RECENTLY REDISCOVERED

A MAJOR WORK BY FRENCH PAINTER PAUL DELAROCHE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN VIRTUALLY DESTROYED DURING A WORLD WAR II GERMAN AIR RAID ON LONDON IN 1941 HAS BEEN UNROLLED AND FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. "CHARLES I INSULTED BY CROMWELL'S SOLDIERS", DEPICTING THE MONARCH SHORTLY BEFORE HIS EXECUTION IN 1649, WAS DAMAGED WHEN BRIDGEWATER HOUSE WAS BOMBED ON 11.MAY.1941. THE CANVAS, HANGING IN THE DINING ROOM AT THE TIME, WAS TAKEN DOWN, ROLLED UP AND MOVED TO A COUNTRY HOUSE IN SCOTLAND WHERE IT HAS REMAINED UNSEEN FOR NEARLY 70 YEARS. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN LONDON AND THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND APPROACHED THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND AND ASKED IF THEY COULD INSPECT THE WORK AHEAD OF AN EXHIBITION ON DELAROCHE TO BE HELD IN LONDON FROM 24.FEBRUARY THROUGH 23.MAY NEXT YEAR. THEY DISCOVERED AROUND 200 TEARS CAUSED BY SHRAPNEL BUT, CONTRARY TO EXPECTATIONS, THE PAINTING WAS 'ALMOST ENTIRELY LEGIBLE AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS EMOTIVE INTENSITY'. THE 1837 WORK WILL BE FEATURED ALONGSIDE OTHER DELAROCHE PAINTINGS INCLUDING THE FAMOUS 'THE EXECUTION OF LADY JANE GREY', ITSELF DAMAGED IN A 1928 FLOOD IN LONDON AND PRESUMED RUINED BUT WHICH WAS ALSO DISCOVERED, IN 1973, IN VIRTUALLY PERFECT CONDITION. THE SHRAPNEL DAMAGE WILL BE CLEARLY VISIBLE TO VISITORS, AS LONG TERM PLANS FOR ITS RESTORATION HAVE YET TO BE DECIDED. ONE FACTOR IS WHERE SUCH A LARGE SCALE WORK CAN HANG. THE CHARLES I PAINTING WILL BE ON SHOW IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY'S MAIN BUILDING WHICH IS FREE OF CHARGE IN THE HOPE THAT PEOPLE WHO SEE IT WILL GO ON TO PAY TO SEE THE EXHIBITION IN THE ADJACENT SAINSBURY WING.