PLYMOUTH.- A 17th century painting that was part of one of the most important collections of historical portraits in England has been acquired by Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery for the city’s permanent collections. The ‘Portrait of Johann Friederich, the Elector of Saxony and the Reformers’ was purchased thanks to funding support from the Art Fund (£5,344) and the V&A/MLA Purchase Grant Fund (£6,120). The painting is a copy of an original 16th century work and shows the leaders of the Protestant Reformation – a movement that aimed to reform the Roman Catholic Church in Northern Europe during the 1500s. At the centre of the portrait is Johann Friederich, the Elector of Saxony – a powerful supporter of the Reformation movement. The painting also includes portraits of Martin Luther and other German and Swiss reformers. Although the painter of this