A postcard of the painting the Diceplayers, by George de la Tour (1593-1652), which is on display at Preston Park Museum. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A postcard of the painting the Diceplayers, by George de la Tour (1593-1652), which is on display at Preston Park Museum.
“The Dice Players” was amongst the paintings presented to the Borough of Stockton in 1934 by Miss Annie Clephan, in memory of her late father Edwin Clephan. The collection was in store for many years until the Council acquired Preston Hall in 1947. In 1968, with the formation of Teesside County Borough, the collections at Preston Hall, Stockton came under the care of the Teesside Museums Service, and a team of professional museum curators. I believe that about 1972 a major London auction house was invited to Teesside to value the museum and art collections. One of the benefits of that visit was their confirmation that “The Dice Players” was a genuine de la Tour.
When the painting was discovered my Grandmother told me that if they had asked her where it was she could have told them. Her mother was in service at Preston Hall and used to show her the painting often
Who were the men who found the painting?
My grandad was one of the men that found this amazing piece of art 🙂
I have visited the museum many many times over many years and the painting has always been there.Your timing must be off ! Shame you missed it because it is awe inspiring . The way De La Tour painted the glow from the light has me dumb struck. When you stand in that silent room in the museum to view the picture it really is very moving.
Bit of a cheek saying this painting is on display at Preston park as everytime me and my husband have visited since it was identified as a de la Tour picture it has been out on loan to the big musueums and art galleries of the world. But good luck to Preston Park for owning this very famous painting in our local area.