Paul DelarocheCharles I Insulted by Cromwell’s Soldiers [detail]1837Private Collection© Photo The National Gallery, London
A painting by French artist Paul Delaroche that was damaged in the Blitz has been rediscovered in Scotland, and will be put on display at the National Gallery almost 70 years after being hidden away.
Charles I Insulted by Cromwell’s Soldiers was inside the Duke of Sutherland’s London residence, Bridgewater, in 1941 when the building was torn apart by bombs. Ripped in 200 places and coated in dust, it was rolled up and moved to Mertoun, the Duke’s seat in Scotland, for safety.
When director of Scotland’s National Gallery Michael Clark heard that curators at the National Gallery in London were organising a show about Delaroche, he alerted them to some unidentified artworks at the Duke’s home.
It was there that they rediscovered Charles I Insulted by Cromwell’s Soldiers. Although the 1873 piece was damaged, the top half – which shows Charles I being taunted by Cromwell’s soldiers – was still perfectly legible.
Nicholas Penny, director of the National Gallery, said the finding was “huge”. “We think it will create a sensation,” he added.
Paul Delaroche (1797-1856)The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833Oil on canvas© The National Gallery, London
It is the second time a painting by Delaroche has been rediscovered; his famous painting The Execution of Lady Grey was found rolled up in storage in 1973 after it was believed to have been lost at a flood at what is now Tate Britain in 1928. Put on display at the National Gallery, it was so popular that it became the first painting to have a barrier put around it.
Both of the rediscovered paintings will be put into a new exhibition called Painting History: Delaroche and Lady Grey, which will run from February 24 until May 23 2010.
