THE nearest most of us get to great works of art is a postcard or two from a gallery gift shop.

But that will not be the case for one lucky winner of a competition designed to encourage public interest in art.

The Bowes Museum, at Barnard Castle, County Durham, has generously offered to lend one of two pieces, worth millions of pounds, by the Italian artist Canaletto for the competition.

The winner will be allowed to hang the giant oil painting, which measures two metres by 2 metres, in their home for a day - whether they live in a high-rise council flat or a one-bedroom bungalow.

The competition is being run in conjunction with the National Art Collections Fund (NACF), which helped bring the two Canalettos to the Bowes Museum following a lengthy appeal in 1982.

Amy Barker, curator of fine art at Bowes Museum, said the museum had agreed to the competition to "give something back" to the NACF, and also to help the fund celebrate its centenary year.

"The idea of the centenary celebrations is that they are trying to bring art to everybody, and we were really keen to help them," she said.

"It won't just be put in a house and left there. There will be plenty of people around all the time to ensure there are no problems."

The two Canalettos, A Regatta on the Grand Canal and Bucintoro Returning to the Molo, were brought to the museum for £385,000, but their value has soared since then.

Canaletto was renowned for his views of early 18th Century Venice and the detail he captured in his vibrant scenes.

It is one of these scenes, A Regatta on the Grand Canal, which will stare down from the walls of someone's living room or hallway for the day.

Lord John Eccles, chairman of trustees at the museum, said: "Many galleries owe the NACF a great deal and we thought if they would like us to help in this way then we will.

"I am sure it will come back to us perfectly all right."

* People can enter the competition via The Independent newspaper or by listening to Classic FM.