DORSET County Museum is hosting an illuminating exhibition and family trail this spring.

The Dorchester museum is holding an exhibition on one of the art-world's best kept secrets - John Craxton.

Works by the Dorset painter will be displayed from March 28 to September 19.

And coinciding with the school Easter Holidays, a Dino Egg Family event is taking place throughout the museum.

Youngsters will be encouraged to find clues throughout the museum's galleries and the winners will be awarded prizes.

The latest events are part of a surge of activity in the museum as fundraising continues for its multimillion pound expansion project.

John Craxton grew up on Cranborne Chase and became known for his menaced war-time landscapes.

He later moved to Crete where he would paint joyful scenes.

He was influenced by Picasso, mentored by Graham Sutherland and enjoyed a close friendship with Lucian Freud. Craxton died in 2009 aged 87.

Exhibition curator Ian Collins said: “John Craxton was one of the art world's best-kept secrets, but his reputation has surged since his death

“The retrospective exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge earlier this year attracted a huge number of visitors and we are hoping for a similar reaction here.”

Museum director Jon Murden said: “This exhibition will bring together many paintings and drawings never previously exhibited.

“It covers an extraordinary range of work from his early life in rural Dorset to Greece where he lived after the Second World War.”

For younger museum visitors there is a wild Easter Egg hunt to look forward to.

Running at the same time as the school Easter Holidays, the family competition begins on March 28 and runs until April 11. Quiz sheets cost £1.

Fundraising team leader David Taylor said: “The children will have a question sheet to complete, they will follow a trail and the answers will be scattered throughout the museum.

“Helping us with the event are retailers in the town who have provided prizes.

“Waitrose have made a big chocolate egg with a dinosaur breaking out of it.

“Wise Owl Toys have given us a roaring dinosaur model and Thorntons have given us an Easter Egg which will be one of the prizes too.”

Stella Jones of Dorchester said she will be doing the family trail with three of her grandchildren - Eve, Ellis and Lily Jones.

She said: “I think the museum is wonderful the way it's developing and coming up with different ideas.

“The grandchildren really enjoy visiting, it's a very child-friendly place.”

Mr Taylor added: “I would encourage anyone to come along and discover the museum if they haven't already and see what's on offer.

“A lot of the things we do work hand and hand together.

“Every admission will benefit the museum and its future.”

See dorsetcountymuseum.org for more information.