Rare altar paintings back on show

The paintings passed intact through the upheavals of the Reformation

A pair of late 15th Century altar paintings are going on display in London after a 450-year absence.

The panels, thought to have furnished a chapel at Westminster Abbey, passed intact through the upheavals of the Reformation.

The pair formed the wings of an altarpiece and were probably the work of a German artist who was commissioned by, or for, the abbot of Westminster.

They are now on display at the Museum of London.

They are thought to have been removed from Westminster Abbey either in 1536, when it was stripped of its shrines and images, in 1540, when it briefly converted into a cathedral, or in around 1547 during the strict Protestantism of Edward VI.

They then reappeared in 1875 when records show they were in Cotehele House in Cornwall.

The works remained there until 1979, when they were sold to a private trust.

Following a £100,000 grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and money from other funders, the panels are now on display in London.

Stephen Johnson, head of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: "These beautiful altar panels seem to have been painted in London around 1500."

"They are now coming back to the capital, where they clearly belong."