ART lovers in Dorset will be able to view a painting usually only seen in galleries in European capitals this summer.

Homage to Velázquez by acclaimed 17th century Italian artist Luca Giordano will hang in the dining room of Kingston Lacy near Wimborne until September, thank to a loan from the National Gallery in London.

The painting has been traded temporarily for the Judgement of Solomon by Sebastiano del Piombo.

Rob Gray, house and collections manager, said: “This is something of a first for us.

“There are some wonderful treasures here which people come back to see again and again and they are in demand for loans to exhibitions all over the world.

“We have often filled gaps with paintings from our reserve collection, held in storage at the house or simply left gaps on the walls.

“This year we have arranged a reciprocal loan with the National Gallery and as far as we are aware this is the first time Kingston Lacy has borrowed a painting from an external organisation.”

Giordano’s painting has had an interesting past, previously being attributed to the great Spanish artist Diego Velázquez himself.

The painting evokes the style of Velázquez and may be a direct reference by Giordano to Velázquez’s Las Meninas.

The connection between these two paintings is made even more prominent as William Bankes bought a version of Las Meninas, believing it to be by Velazquez and although currently attributed to his son in law, Del Mazo, the argument over the true artist still raises debate today.

The painting remains part of the National Trust collection at Kingston Lacy and currently hangs in the Spanish room next to the dining room.

The house is open every day apart from Tuesdays from 11am to 4pm.

For more information, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/kingstonlacy