Exclusive: the man who saved the Zurbarans
The drama over Durham’s Zurbaran paintings has reached an extraordinary conclusion — and one that is revealed exclusively in this week’s Spectator. The protest against the Church of England’s proposed sale had snowballed into a national campaign, with Jeremy Hunt calling for them to be “enjoyed by the public.” Today we can disclose that they have been bought for £15 million — by an investor (and Spectator reader) called Jonathan Ruffer, who has decided to gift them back to the church. Here, for CoffeeHousers, is Charles Moore’s interview with him for the magazine: ‘It’s the pearl of great price,’ says Jonathan Ruffer. Like the merchant in the Gospel, he is