A bid to keep an historic portrait of one of Lichfield’s most famous sons in the Midlands has been successful.
The Heritage Lottery Fund has agreed to a £97,000 grant to the Birmingham Museums Trust, according to History West Midlands.
The painting, by Darwin’s friend Joseph Wright, was completed in 1770 and had been sold in 2009.
There had been fears that it could end up in a collection overseas, but the latest grant means the £275,000 portrait will stay in the region.
“This is a hugely important acquisition for Birmingham Museums,” Chris Rice, Head of Heritage Services at Birmingham Museums Trust, told History West Midlands.