Recovery joy 'tinged by sadness'

The Duke of Buccleuch hopes to put the painting back on display

The new Duke of Buccleuch has confirmed he hopes to put the Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece the Madonna with the Yarnwinder back on public display.

He said his family had been "overjoyed" at the police operation which led to its recovery in Glasgow on Thursday.

However, he said their joy was "tinged by sadness" that his father - who died a month ago - was not alive to see the painting returned to Drumlanrig Castle.

He also thanked all the agencies involved in finding the £30m artwork.

"The tenacity they have shown in pursuing the case for four years has been remarkable and we pay tribute to the skill and courage clearly demonstrated by this very satisfactory outcome," he said.

'Good condition'

"Our pleasure is inevitably tinged by sadness that my father, who died just a month ago, should not have lived to see the safe return of this wonderful work of art."

The duke said his father had been deeply affected by the theft of the painting.

The painting depicts the Madonna with the infant Jesus

"It is worth remembering that the Leonardo was on public display at the time, as it had been at his instigation, for nearly three decades," he said.

"He was dismayed that not only he and his family, but the wider public, would be denied the chance of drawing pleasure from it."

He also thanked the director of the National Gallery of Scotland, Michael Clarke, who verified the painting.

"It appears superficially to be in remarkably good condition but the gallery has kindly agreed that it should go in the near future to its conservation department for closer examination," he said.

"Finally, although it will clearly require much thought and preparation, I should say that we are determined that the painting should once again go on public view to be enjoyed by many thousands who we hope will come back to see it in its home at Drumlanrig."