Six religious paintings believed to have once been destined for the New World but never delivered, have finally set off on their transatlantic journey 370 years late.
Joseph, Naphtali, Asher, Dan, Levi and Reuben, have hung alongside their father Jacob and six other brothers in Auckland Castle’s Long Dining Room for 260 years.
But now the life-size portraits created by the Spanish Golden Age master Francisco de Zurbarán in the 1640s, are taking an 18 month break to the United States – the first time they have been shown outside Europe.
Their 5,000 mile journey stateside, where the paintings will be exhibited at both The Meadows Museum in Dallas, Texas, and The Frick Collection in New York, marks the start of the multi-million pound restoration of Auckland Castle and the many significant works it houses.
While in the United States the centuries old paintings will be the focus of an in-depth technical and art historical study supported by The Meadows Foundation and The Frick Collection, which will take place at the renowned Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
The research findings will then be made publicly available at the United States exhibitions, as well as Auckland Castle from May 2018, when Jacob and his 12 Sons will once again hang together at the former palace of England’s only Prince Bishops.
Clare Baron, Auckland Castle’s Temporary Exhibitions Curator, said the extraordinary religious works bought and financed by Bishop Richard Trevor in 1756, and which have never crossed the Atlantic before, would hopefully be a “treasure trove” of artistic and historical information.
Clare Baron said the research would ultimately enable the Zurbarán’s full story to be told when Auckland Castle reopens to the public in 2018.
Life size reproductions of the six paintings will hang in the Long Dining Room alongside the remaining works of Jacob, Simeon, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Benjamin, and Gad, until the end of September when the Castle will close to allow the restoration work to begin in earnest.
The remaining seven portraits will themselves then be removed and head to the United States in October – only the third time the whole series has left the Castle since 1756.