AN EXHIBITION exploring many of the most popular Bible stories as visualised by Western artists and craftsmen opens at the Bowes Museum on Saturday, October 11.

Faith and Love: Picturing the Bible from Raphael to El Greco includes important paintings and artefacts from the museum's collection of European art as well as loans from national collections.

It will look at some of the most popular depictions of Old and New Testament stories, including Moses in the bulrushes, David and Goliath, the Nativity and the Flight into Egypt.

Two intriguing works by Raphael will be displayed side by side, allowing a rare glimpse of the techniques employed in Renaissance painting.

The Madonna and Child, also known as the Mackintosh Madonna, after its last owner, Eva Mackintosh, who donated it to the National Gallery, will be shown alongside the cartoon (preliminary drawing) version, The Virgin and Child, courtesy of The British Museum.

"Though it might not be considered by purists to be one of Raphael's greatest paintings, it is really important as in this instance we have the original cartoon, which is in very good condition,"

said Emma House, assistant keeper of fine art.

"The cartoon would be pricked with holes and then a fine layer of charcoal would be dabbed over the outline to reproduce the design ready to paint. The pinholes on the cartoon are still clearly visible."

Also on show for the first time since they were bought by John and Josephine Bowes in the 19th century will be part of a set of engravings.

They were produced by Nicolas Chaperon in 1649 and illustrate Raphael's frescos for the loggia of the Vatican, known as Raphael's Bible.

Through Chaperon's beautifully printed images, visitors will be introduced to the story of the creation of the world, the temptation of Adam and Eve and Noah's Ark.

They are among the finest copies of Raphael's work in the loggia and are being conserved especially for the exhibition.

Featured too is the work of Francesco Giovanni Penni, one of Raphael's studio assistants, who worked with him on the loggia and whose drawings were probably produced in preparation for the project.

Textiles and a variety of artefacts from the museum collections will complement the works of art, each depicting a Biblical theme.

These include a wooden Noah's Ark, with a set of animals, and a children's 3D puzzle revealing different stories on each side of its building blocks. A beautiful canvas work table carpet, c1600, made specifically for decoration, portrays Biblical images from the Book of Genesis, including the story of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel.

During 2008, the museum conservator, Jon Old, is overseeing the conservation of The Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and the Infant Saint John the Baptist, a copy after La Perla by Raphael, which is now in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

The technical analysis from the former, together with the loans from the National Gallery and British Museum will introduce visitors to the working processes and techniques of Raphael and his studio.

One of the Bowes most famous paintings, The Tears of St Peter by El Greco, c1580, will be displayed.

Reluctantly purchased by the founders in 1869, it cost them less than they paid for a monkey puzzle tree which graces the museum grounds.