London museum buys Raphael painting

LONDON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The National Gallery in London has bought Raphael's masterpiece "The Madonna of the Pinks" for $41.4 million.

The Duke of Northumberland, the owner of the Renaissance painting, sold it to the gallery, where it had been on loan since 1992, the BBC reported Friday.

The gallery purchased the artwork using money raised jointly by the Heritage Lottery fund and contributions from the public.

The painting will go on a tour of Britain, then return for the gallery's Raphael exhibition in October.