National Gallery spends £16m on painting without knowing where it’s from or who the artist is

The 16th-century altarpiece - which has not been exhibited in over 60 years - was bought by the gallery from a private collection for £16.4m. - (National Gallery)

The National Gallery has spent more than £16m on a mysterious painting – despite not knowing who the artist is.

The 16th-century altarpiece – which has not been exhibited in over 60 years – was bought by the gallery from a private collection for £16.4m, making it one of the largest ever purchases for the national collection.