Old Masters sketches to go on display in Sheffield: Collection includes Rubens, Rembrandt and van Dyck

Dozens of drawings by Old Masters are to go on display in Sheffield as part of the biggest exhibition of its kind for twenty years.

'Lines of Beauty: Master Drawings from Chatsworth' will highlight 59 works from the Devonshire Collections at the Millennium Gallery.

Running from 14 February to 25 May, the show includes sketches from some of the most renowned painters of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries including Rubens, Rembrandt and van Dyck.

"This is a rare opportunity and we hope that many people will take the opportunity to enjoy these incredible drawings for the first time," said Kate Brindley, Director of Collections & Exhibitions at Chatsworth.

The show also include preparatory work from French history painter Nicolas Poussin and Renaissance master Vittore Carpaccio.

John Ruskin, the Victorian art critic and social thinker with strong ties to Sheffield, was an admirer of Carpaccio's work.

"Drawing remains as vital and universal a skill today as it was when these works were created," said Kirstie Hamilton, Director of Programmes at Museums Sheffield.

"The Devonshire collection of Old Master Drawings is truly world-class and we are thrilled to be working with Chatsworth to bring so many of these remarkable highlights together at the Millennium Gallery."

Established over 300 years ago, the whole collection now includes around 1,800 works.

A highlight of the show is a number of drawings by Rembrandt, including a sketch of actor William Ruyter and a series of landscapes.

Sam Gregory

'Lines of Beauty: Master Drawings from Chatsworth' runs from 14 February to 25 May at Millennium Gallery. Entry is free.