The Watts Gallery has received more than £1.5m for the sale of Jasmine by Albert Moore and The Triumph of Love by Edward Burne-Jones.
The gallery plans to put the money towards storage, framing and other aspects of the care and conservation of its core collection.
Andrew Churchill, the Watts Gallery's marketing manager, said: "The sale of the paintings was always about the care and conservation of the core collection, to provide a regular source of income for the coming years.
"It is a relief that the core collection is now secure. It was a difficult decision to take, but the only viable decision for the long-term future."
Caitlin Griffiths, the Museums Association's (MA) head of professional issues, commended the gallery's openness with both the MA and the sector as a whole.
"The case of the Watts Gallery demonstrates that there are exceptional circumstances when disposal can take place, but also what a time-consuming process it is, and not one to be undertaken lightly," she said.
The gallery aims to raise £10m to restore the building, conserve the collection, extend the education programme and establish the Watts Gallery as a centre for the exploration of Victorian art, social history and craft.
It has secured an earmarked grant of £4.3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), but still needs to raise a further £2m to meet the conditions of the grant.
Isabel Goldsmith, a trustee of the gallery, said: "We hope that the result of this sale will give extra confidence to the HLF in making its decision to unlock the grant."
The gallery plans to put the money towards storage, framing and other aspects of the care and conservation of its core collection.
Andrew Churchill, the Watts Gallery's marketing manager, said: "The sale of the paintings was always about the care and conservation of the core collection, to provide a regular source of income for the coming years.
"It is a relief that the core collection is now secure. It was a difficult decision to take, but the only viable decision for the long-term future."
Caitlin Griffiths, the Museums Association's (MA) head of professional issues, commended the gallery's openness with both the MA and the sector as a whole.
"The case of the Watts Gallery demonstrates that there are exceptional circumstances when disposal can take place, but also what a time-consuming process it is, and not one to be undertaken lightly," she said.
The gallery aims to raise £10m to restore the building, conserve the collection, extend the education programme and establish the Watts Gallery as a centre for the exploration of Victorian art, social history and craft.
It has secured an earmarked grant of £4.3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), but still needs to raise a further £2m to meet the conditions of the grant.
Isabel Goldsmith, a trustee of the gallery, said: "We hope that the result of this sale will give extra confidence to the HLF in making its decision to unlock the grant."
