IT hung in the living room of an Edinburgh family home for decades, partially hidden behind a desk and, outside the family, something of a secret.

But now the painting, described as a “pivotal” work of British modern art, is owned by the nation.

Ben Nicholson’s work, worth more than £250,000, has been transferred to the ownership of the National Galleries of Scotland.

932 (profile: Venetian red), was painted by Mr Nicholson, who lived between 1894 and 1982, and given to Elisabeth Swan and her husband Harold Swan on their wedding in December 1951 by her father, Jim Ede.

Mr Ede was the creator of Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge University’s gallery of modern art, and was a personal friend of Mr Nicholson, one of the most important painters in 20th-century British art.

The painting, which Mrs Swan knew was important and valuable, moved to Scotland when the Swans relocated to Edinburgh, where they had both studied medicine, following their retirement.

At their home in the Church Hill area of the city, Mrs Swan asked her children not to mention the author of the work, and even told visitors it was by one of her sons, Martin.

Yesterday, at the unveiling of the painting in its new permanent home, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, the Swan family gathered to mark the handover and remember Mrs Swan, who died in September last year aged 93.

The move comes via the Acceptance in Lieu of Tax scheme which offsets inheritance tax if art can be transferred into public ownership.

She and her also deceased husband, had long wanted the work to be part of Scotland’s national collections, and stipulated in the arrangement that it go to the modern art gallery in Edinburgh’s west end.

Eileadh Swan, her grandaughter, said: “It does feel odd, it being in a new context, but it is feels right at the same time, we knew she wanted it to be seen by the public.”

Andrew Swan, Elizabeth’s son, said: “I am delighted that the public can see it. In this gallery I am picking up new hints of light in the painting – it was just part of the house when we were growing up, we always saw it in a domestic setting.

“But we knew our parents wanted it to come to the galleries and we are totally supportive of that.”

Martin Swan added: “It was always in the living room, behind a desk. We had only previously seen it in the family context.

“She tried to tell us not to talk about it, and who it was by: she once said it was by me. Jim Ede was our grandfather and I think he would have approved of this arrangement, it is now a lovely context for it to be seen in.”, with all these other vibrant works of art.”

Simon Groom, director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, said he was delighted such an important painting “ It will form a fitting tribute to Harold and Elisabeth Swan’s love of art and above all their desire to share that passion with the public at large. We are deeply grateful to the family for their great generosity.”