Sherborne Almshouse’s triptych sold at auction for £5.2m

A rare 15th Century painting depicting five miracles of Christ has been sold for more than £5.2m at auction.

The triptych has survived through religious purges and political upheaval for more than 500 years in the Almshouse chapel in Sherborne, Dorset.

The sale on Wednesday evening exceeded initial valuations by Sotheby’s who estimated it could fetch £3.5m.

Dorset Museum had hoped it could appeal to the Arts Council for a temporary export deferral to allow it more time to raise the money to keep it in the country and on public display.

Experts identified the triptych as the only surviving work of an unknown painter who was active in Brussels.

It was “just extraordinary” said Mike Burks who was at the auction for the Almshouse.

The sub-master at the chapel said when the hammer came down it received “a round of applause in the audience”.

The buyer will pay a total of around £5.7m for the purchase including fees.

St Johns’ Almshouse had the piece valued during renovation work and the charity decided to sell the altarpiece to fund new accommodation for people in need.

Mr Burks said the funds will allow them to help the community in Sherborne, as they plan to convert part of the building into self-contained units.

He added that it also provides them with the “long-term financial stability to keep the charity going”.

Mr Burks admitted the team and him shared a couple of “poignant” moments with the painting before and after the sale.

He was pleased to confirm that the buyer was a Christian charitable foundation, meaning it would still be on public display and he said there was discussion about it being on view in Sherborne at some stage.

The Almshouse was founded in 1437 under a licence from King Henry VI, with patronage from Robert Neville, Bishop of Salisbury.

Its purpose was to care for “twelve poor feeble and impotent old men and four old women” who were looked after by a housewife responsible for cooking, cleaning, and general care.

The charity continued its work for centuries but closed its 19 retirement accommodation units in 2023 after they became financially unsustainable.

Chair of the Almshouse Trustees, Richard Hunt had said: “For nearly 600 years, our mission has been to provide accommodation for local people in need and now, with the sale of this artwork, we have an important opportunity to protect the work that the charity can do for generations to come.”