Generous investor saves Church of England's Zurbaran paintings

Paintings by Francisco de Zurbaran belonging to the Church of England have been saved thanks to the donation of a wealthy hedge fund manager.

The £15 million donation from Jonathan Ruffer means the 17th century paintings can continue to hang in Auckland Castle, where they have hung since 1756.

The works bought by Ruffer are a series of portraits of Zurbaran, a 17th century Spanish painter, and his son.

Church Commissioners have set up the Zurbaran Trust to invest the money in the Church's community work in the North East.

They are in talks with Durham County Council and the National Trust about turning the castle into a public heritage site, which they hope will boost tourism and help to regenerate the region.

The Rothschild Foundation has already donated £1 million towards the project but Church Commissioners are hoping to secure more funds from bodies like the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund.

Nicholas Penny, Director of the National Gallery, says: “It is excellent news that the Zurbaráns remain in their historic home and that the Castle will be more accessible to the public.

"We hope to be able to support this exciting venture in the future with loans from the National Collection.”

Dr Richard Chartres, Bishop of London and Acting Chair of the Commissioners, said: “Jonathan Ruffer’s generosity has made that rarest of scenarios possible: the best of both worlds.

"There is now an opportunity to create a leading arts and heritage centre in the North East, and a chance for both the Church of England and the Zurbarán Trust to contribute to the wider spiritual, social and economic regeneration across the region.”