LONDON, ENGLAND.- HM Government, as part of the Acceptance-in-Lieu scheme, has allocated 'Still Life with Lemons and Oranges' to the Gallery. It comes from the estate of Sir James Colyer-Fergusson, who died in January 2004. Luis Meléndez is recognized as one of the greatest European still-life painters, and this is the second of his works to join the National Gallery collection.

In 1986, Sir James wrote to the Gallery expressing his intention to leave his painting to the nation, because Meléndez was not then represented in a British public collection. However, that same year the National Gallery purchased Meléndez's 'Still Life with Oranges and Walnuts'. Sir James came to see it, thinking that he would leave his painting to another institution. However he realised that the two paintings would complement each other, and in 1987 he confirmed his intentions to the Director of the National Gallery.

'Still Life with Lemons and Oranges' was last seen publicly in the National Gallery's popular 1989 exhibition, 'Painting in Spain during the later Eighteenth Century'. 'When Still Life with Oranges and Walnuts' is rehung in the Gallery in September 2005 after being displayed in The Stuff of Life, the current Touring Partnership exhibition (now in the National Gallery Sunley Room), the two paintings will be shown together as Sir James wished.

The combination of the two paintings will encourage National Gallery visitors to examine and understand Meléndez's compositional methods, as well as the development of his art. 'Still Life with Oranges and Lemons' will be on display in Room 39 from 21 July.