AN important painting was cleaned up yesterday as the building that houses it prepared to re-open.

The Bard, painted by Hexham artist John Martin in 1817, depicts a key moment in England's conquest of Wales. It tells the semi-mythical story of the destruction of the Welsh bards by King Edward I.

The painting is based on a Thomas Gray poem and shows the enormous English Army snaking up to a castle.

The last surviving Welsh bard is seen cursing the English troops before he plunges to his death.

It was cleaned by restorers Jim Devenport and Norma Johnson, from Houghton Studio, ahead of the re-opening of the Laing art gallery, in Newcastle.

The venue has undergone a facelift to mark its centenary, and will re-open in April.

Laing curator Julie Milne said: "The Bard is one of our most popular paintings, and John Martin's work is always dramatic and awe-inspiring.

"The refurbishment has allowed us to re-display the stars of our collection and also given us the opportunity to have some of them undergo conservation work, which means they will look stunning when we re-open to the public."

The Bard will be on permanent display, along with other important paintings including Holman-Hunt's Isabella and the Pot of Basil, and Burne Jones' Laus Veneris, as well as other works by John Martin.

Eccentricity ran in Martin's family -William, the eldest, was a self-taught inventor and often walked the North-East streets in a tortoiseshell hat.

Another brother, Jonathan, was prosecuted in 1829 for starting a spectacular and destructive fire at York Minster.

The new galleries and facilities will open on April 17, along with a National Gallery touring exhibition that features masterpieces by artists such as Rembrandt, Goya, Hogarth, Opie, Renoir and Warhol