A RARE panting by a Flemish artist has returned to the walls of Lowther Castle after 70 years.
A Concert of Birds by a Pond, by Frans Snyders (1579-1657) has been reinstated in the castle’s newly revamped café, only yards from where it hung originally in the Lowther picture gallery.
It was removed from the castle in 1947 as part of one of the largest country house sales to ever happen in Britain.
Lowther was stripped bare, with every painting and object put under the hammer, scattering an extraordinary family collection.
However, some remarkable objects remained in family hands, including the famous painting.
Jim Lowther said: “It is fantastic to see one of Lowther’s most precious artefacts returned to the castle, restored to its former glory. The painting is Snyders’ most ambitious composition of wild birds; an enormous piece overflowing with wonderful detail.
"It looks stunning in the new café space and we hope our visitors will enjoy it."
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