The rehang was prompted by recent conservation work in the Saloon, which required all the paintings to be removed from the walls. This provided the opportunity to lower two Rubens portraits so that visitors can confront the paintings more directly. The rehang of the surrounding pictures and those on the opposite wall is intended to reveal connections between the paintings and tell the story of the Bankes family’s collecting across the centuries.

Elena Greer, Property Curator for Kingston Lacy said: ‘When Kingston Lacy was gifted to the National Trust in 1982 the paintings in the Saloon were rearranged. Among the changes made was the rehanging of the two portraits by Rubens much higher on the wall. This new hang, the first since that date, lowers the portraits – reflecting the pre-1982 arrangement, as well as historic hangs in this room – offering visitors a closer encounter with these two imposing images and the opportunity to examine Rubens’ technique in more detail.’