Spanish drapery from branch and brush
by Phil Gates from on (#12W7C)
Bishop Auckland, Co Durham It's as if giant hands twisted the trunk, the tree acquiring the youthful exuberance of a swirling flamenco skirt
This market town, whose fortune waxed and waned with that of the coal industry, is soon to become an international centre for Spanish art. For 250 years Auckland Castle, formerly the palace of the bishops of Durham, has been home to paintings by the Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarin.
By 2018 Zurbarin's works will be joined by those of compatriots Dali, El Greco and Velizquez, in an ambitious new gallery in the market square.
