By James Briscoe, Arts & Culture Correspondent
There is great news for Manchester art fans as a lost painting by Ford Madox Brown will go on display next month at Manchester Art Gallery.
The Seraph’s Watch, was last seen publicly 115 years ago in 1896, before it was sold but the Manchester public will have a chance to see it in all its glory in Ford Madox Brown: Pre-Raphaelite Pioneer from 24 September – 29 January 2012.
Madox Brown was one of the leading names in Pre-Raphaelite Art and the painting will sit perfectly in a gallery already celebrating art from this movement.
Curator Julian Treuherz found the artwork in a private collection two years ago.
He said: “I was very excited when it re-appeared, having known it only from a copy made later.”
The copy, made by Madox Brown’s pupil, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, sold for £100,000 at auction at Sotheby’s in 2006.
Dr Maria Balshaw, director of Manchester Galleries, said the exhibition will be a “unique Manchester experience”.
The exhibition will be the first major retrospective of the Madox Brown’s work in more than 50 years.
According to Mr Treuherz, The Seraph’s Watch was finished shortly after Madox Brown completed a 10-month trip to Rome, a period which coincided with the fatal illness of his wife, Elizabeth.
After her death he moved to Kensington, London, where he completed the painting.
