A Murillo discovery at Maastricht
March 23 2012
Picture: BG
A picture I liked yesterday at Maastricht was this small oil by Murillo of The Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua. It was with the Madrid gallery, Caylus, and had been plucked from under everyone's noses (including mine!) at an Old Master auction in London, where it had been catalogued at Christie's as 'Studio of Murillo'. It sold for just £10,000. The picture is a little gem, and since the vetting at Maastricht is fairly tough, there can't be much doubt about the elevation from Studio to autograph. Caylus have also established some solid provenance for the painting, going back to Marechal Soult, Napoleon's famous general.
On the subject of vetting, I heard yesterday of a picture previously offered by an auctioneer for many millions which was vetted off by the committee at Maastricht. Ouch. I'd love to tell you about it, but am sworn to secrecy. (Oh alright then, it was from Sotheby's).
