An 18th century love affair is bringing one of York's art collections to life.

Visitors to the York City Art Gallery will be able to follow the fortunes of Peregrine, Viscount Pinley, and Mrs Jordan as the couple admire the 18th century portraits on permanent display at the gallery in Exhibition Square.

The gallery has enlisted the help of two actors from the York-based Century Adventure History Group to entertain and inform members of the public through a series of performances on Saturdays this month.

As the fictitious couple decide if they should marry, they also reveal accurate information about the paintings, giving background information to those close by.

Lara Goodband, exhibitions officer at the gallery, said they had enlisted the help of actors before to help give a more rounded experience to gallery users.

She said: "It gets people thinking in other ways, quite new ways, and it provides them with information that's not on the labels.

There are five performances by the actors between 11am and 3pm during the remaining Saturdays in August.

Updated: 08:53 Thursday, August 09, 2001