A RENAISSANCE painting being sold by the Duke of Northumberland could remain in Britain after the Heritage Lottery Fund yesterday announced a £11.5m grant to keep it at the National Gallery.

The duke, who owns Madonna of the Pinks, had agreed to sell the painting to a US buyer for £35m.

Since 1991, the 11.4in by 9in work by Raphael has been hanging on a wall at the National Gallery in London, where it has been on long-term loan.

Gallery officials mounted a campaign to keep it in this country and appealed for help from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The grant, the fund's largest ever for a painting, was given on condition that the gallery allows the painting to tour the country.

To keep it, the National Gallery must come up with a "matching offer" to that made by J Paul Getty Museum, in Los Angeles.

It is believed an offer of £21m would match the figure the duke would received after tax if he sold the work abroad, but Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell will decide what the final figure will be.

The National Gallery had already raised £9.5m through private and public donations, some of it through interest on the its Getty Fund and £60,000 through collection boxes.

Heritage Lottery Fund chairman Liz Forgan said: "I know there is some debate about whether this Raphael is his finest or not but, without any doubt, we are dealing here with a fine picture."

She said the painting had added value because it was "talked about in pubs across Britain'' by ''people who do not normally get involved in arguments about old masters".

''Because of that interest, we believe that the picture's iconic status and potential to intrigue has increased,'' she said.

The painting, also known as Madonna and Child, was probably painted in Florence in about 1507.

A spokesman for the duke said: "The key for us is that whoever buys it, the money will go towards restoring the rest of the collection at Alnwick and the 200 listed buildings the duke has under his custodianship.''