A DRAWING by one of the foremost women painters of the 20th century is now hung in pride of place in Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum.

Museums Worcestershire, who care for the city and county’s museum and art collections, has purchased Dame Laura Knight's portrait of Professor Allardyce Nicoll pictured on the Malvern Hills, study for 'Harvest'.

It joins two other works in the collection by Dame Laura Knight at the Foregate Street attraction, the Yellow Dress and In the Dressing Room.

Philippa Tinsley, senior curator for Museums Worcestershire, said: “It is wonderful to be adding this drawing to our collection. Thank you to all those who made the purchase possible, particularly visitors to the art gallery who donated so willingly.

"Work by Dame Laura Knight is always extremely popular and it is lovely to have the links to local Worcestershire stories. We hope that the subject including a local landscape will generate a feeling of pride for our local visitors.”

Dame Laura Knight, who died in 1970, was a leading figure in the art industry, known for both her artworks and forging a path in the sector for women artists

During the Second World War, she stayed in Malvern and painted many of her landscapes on the Malvern Hills.

In 2012, the touring exhibition, entitled Laura Knight in the Open Air, received record breaking visitor figures at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, with the venue’s highest numbers since 1996.

There are plans in the future for the work to be integrated into a series of talks, highlighting the stories of the landscape.

It was purchased with the assistance of the Art Fund, Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Friends of Museums Worcestershire, Friends of Dame Laura Knight Malvern Branch, Peter Smith and through kind donations from members of the public.