Sherborne Almshouse’s triptych sold at auction for £5.6m

A rare 15th Century painting depicting five miracles of Christ has been sold for more than £5.6m 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.

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.

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.”