AN ARTISTIC landmark in the Lake District may have to be sold to China, say its owners.

Langdale's Merz Barn was the final workplace of influential German artist Kurt Schwitters, who died 70 years ago on Monday (January 8).

Its owners, the charity Littoral Arts, say they are being "forced" to sell the building at auction because the Arts Council's Manchester office has "five times refused" Arts Lottery funding since 2011.

The charity's director, Ian Hunter, said it had been approached by a Chinese multi-millionaire art collector who has offered to buy the Merz Barn outright and may relocate it as part of his private museum in Shenzen province. It is believed the price would be around £350,000.

Mr Hunter has described the situation as "approaching a national scandal".

In a statement, the Arts Council told the Gazette: "The Arts Council’s role does not include the protection and restoration of cultural heritage – this is the responsibility of other bodies. However, we have supported Littoral Arts with funding for a contemporary programme over a number of years."

Schwitters worked in genres including Dadaism, Constructivism, Surrealism, poetry, sound, painting, sculpture, graphic design, typography, and what came to be known as installation art.

He is most famous for his collages, called Merz Pictures, in which he used debris and rubbish. He ended up in Ambleside after the Nazis invaded Germany.

Schwitters died almost penniless and forgotten in Kendal on January 8, 1948, the day after he was granted British citizenship.

Littoral Arts bought the Merz Barn in 2006.It has carried out restoration, cleared undergrowth and run workshops and seminars. Its wish is to build a small museum and arts centre dedicated to Schwitters, costing up to £1.5 million.

Chair of trustees, Celia Larner has sold part of her home in Lancashire to save the site from being sold. She and partner Mr Hunter say they are running the project using personal savings and state pensions.

Wigton-born Arts broadcaster Lord Bragg has described the Merz Barn as "an outstanding contribution to the understanding of contemporary art, not only in this country but in the world art context".