A NEWLY rediscovered Craxton painting has just gone on show at Salisbury Museum as part of an exhibition on the artist's work.

The work, which was painted by John Craxton in 1940 for archaeologist Stuart Piggott, shows a fanciful Cranborne Chase landscape with three Bronze Age pots.

The pots were excavated by Piggott on Crichel Down. He excavated various sites in Wiltshire and John Craxton lodged with him for a time at Rockbourne.

The exhibition - ‘A Poetic Eye: A life in art from Cranborne Chase to Crete’ - opened in January.

Joyce Paesen, the museum’s exhibitions officer said: "It is a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to include this painting in the exhibition as we have such strong links here between art and archaeology.

"In fact there are items similar to the pots on show in the exhibition itself, which really help us to understand John Craxton’s inspirations."

Ian Collins, curator, author and John Craxton’s friend and art executor, added: “This is one of the earliest surviving works by John Craxton, painted on Cranborne Chase when he was 19 or 20.

"It demonstrates his life-long interest in landscape and archaeology – passions which led him from Wessex to Greece.”

The exhibition runs until May 7.

* Ian Collins will be leading a talk entitled 'John Craxton: A portrait of the artist on Cranborne Chase and Crete' on Thursday, March 3 at the museum at 6.30pm.

There will also be walk through the exhibition with the curator on Friday, March 4 at 10.30am.