£50m 'painting for the nation' leaves country

A £50 million painting bought for the nation by the National Galleries of Scotland is to tour America for almost a year.

Directors hope Titian's Diana and Actaeon will help secure funds to allow the purchase of a second painting by the Renaissance artist. The piece was bought last year from the Duke of Sutherland, who also owns the sister painting Diana and Callisto, which is currently on loan to the Galleries and will cost a further 50m to buy.

The Galleries were criticised for spending such a large sum on the painting during the financial downturn.

On the planned tour, Glasgow South West MP Ian Davidson said: "This seems bizarre when such a large amount of public and lottery money was raised to keep the painting in Britain."