BEFORE the 1750s, landscape painting was of little interest to anyone but rich landowners who commissioned pieces to record their vast estates on canvas.

In the mid-to-late 18th Century, the genre grew in popularity.

A new gallery which opened today– the first attraction to be unveiled within Auckland Castle as part of a major regeneration project– will explore some of its most influential artists in its first exhibition.

“It has been such a lot of hard work to bring together but worth it, the gallery and exhibition look incredible,” said Auckland Project curator Angela Thomas.

“It is such a good opportunity for people to see all these great artworks, the calibre of which you would usually have to go to London or Edinburgh to see yet they are here in County Durham, in Bishop Auckland.”

The Bishop Trevor Gallery is named after Bishop Richard Trevor and housed within apartments he had built at the castle with windows that take in the views of the surrounding countryside and Deer Park.

Bishop of Durham from 1752 to 1771, he was a serious collector of art and bought the famous Jacob and His Twelve Sons by Spanish master Francisco de Zurbaran.

The life-sized paintings hung in the castle for more than 250 years and whilst conservation work is ongoing they have travelled to Dallas, Texas, New York and Jerusalem.

The new gallery’s first temporary exhibition The Origins of British Landscape takes inspiration from the views from the gallery to explore the history of British landscape painting.

It features work by Claude Lorrain, whose work was admired and brought back to Britain by rich young gents returning from The Grand Tour travelling around Europe to learn about society and art.

A crash course on the work of Thomas Gainsborough, a forerunner to Turner and Constable, is given in a room of his paintings and drawings which start when he just 19 or 20 and go up to a few years before his death. Another hall is dedicated to George Stubbs, known as the horse painter, and other exhibits include a scene by George Smith of Chichester, which won the premium award at the first exhibition by the Society of Artists.

The pieces on display come from two private lenders– one being Auckland Project founder Jonathan Ruffer– and include some never publicly displayed before.

Clare Baron, head of exhibitions and interpretation, said it is a great platform to bring notable pieces to the North.

This exhibition will run until September 8, and four weeks later a new one will be built around The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour when it brings a Nicolas Poussin to the gallery.

Tickets available from Auckland Tower, in Bishop Auckland Market Place.