A PORTRAIT bought with £50,000 of lottery cash gets a fresh unveiling several times an hour - because it is cannot be exposed to light.

For the picture of John Towneley, at Towneley Hall, Burnley, has been covered with a curtain for its own protection.

So visitors wanting to take a look at the pastel portrait of Charles Towneley's third son have to ask curators to draw back to curtain.

It went on display in March, but staff have now found that the lights in the gallery were posing a risk to the delicate artwork, and decided to protect it when it was not being viewed.

The portrait, by celebrated 18th century panellist Jean Baptiste Perronneau, hung in Towneley Hall from 1849 until the family moved out in 1901, and has been in private collections since then.

Two years ago, the council spent almost £50,000 to bring the portait back to its original home.

Museum manager Ken Darwen said: "The painting of John Towneley is a valuable asset to the borough and we take our responsibility as guardian of it very seriously.

"The painting is on permanent display in the main art gallery at Towneley Hall and I'd encourage anyone who is interested to come along and see it.

"However, the painting is in pastel on paper which means that it could be damaged by strong daylight or artificial light and we have to take certain steps to protect it when it's not being viewed.

"In this way the painting is fully open to public view but also being protected so it can be enjoyed by visitors for many years to come."