A Rubens Painting Considered Lost For Almost 300 Years To Be Auctioned
A painting titled "Saint Sebastian Being Cared for by Two Angels" by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens has been rediscovered after being lost for nearly 300 years.
The artwork is expected to be auctioned and could fetch a price between $5.1 million and $7.7 million.
The remarkable painting was identified through X-ray analysis, helping to uncover its true identity.
The remarkable painting was identified through X-ray analysis, helping to uncover its true identity.
Photo Credit: Sotheby's
"Saint Sebastian Attended by Two Angels" - Rediscovered After Three Centuries
The Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens completed the masterpiece "Saint Sebastian Attended by Two Angels" over 400 years ago.
Through his brushstrokes, Rubens depicts the tale of Saint Sebastian, a Roman soldier who was left to perish after being pierced by arrows for embracing Christianity, only to be miraculously saved by angels.
The painting is believed to have been commissioned by Ambrogio Spinola, an Italian noble and military commander, and completed around 1606-1608 in Italy or around 1609-1610 in Rubens' hometown of Antwerp, Belgium.
However, the artwork vanished from historical records during the 18th century and reemerged in Missouri, United States, in 1963. In 2006, it was acquired by its current owner, who mistakenly identified it as a painting by French artist Laurent de La Hire.
The painting left a profound impact on George Gordon, Sotheby's co-chairman of Old Master Paintings Worldwide, when he first encountered it at an exhibition. Gordon highlights Rubens as one of the most renowned and influential painters of the 17th century, a true pioneer in the development of Baroque art style.
"It's the liveliness of the brushwork," Gordon told CNN. "So it was easy to appreciate the speed and vivacity with which it was painted, which seemed to me to speak very strongly for Rubens' own brush."
Gordon further explains the significance of the subject choice, stating that Ambrogio Spinola, a devout Catholic and a soldier involved in a religious war, commissioned the artwork. Saint Sebastian's faith and refusal to denounce it led to his martyrdom, making it an appropriate subject for Spinola.
The Spinola family were great patrons and friends of Rubens, Gordon adds.
X-ray Analysis Reveals an Original Rubens
In April, X-ray analysis confirmed that the painting is indeed an original work by Rubens. Previously, the title of the original version was attributed to a painting in the Corsini family collection, currently displayed at the Galleria Corsini in Rome.
The analysis also revealed alterations made by Rubens beneath the final layer of the painting. For instance, in the original version, Rubens depicted Saint Sebastian facing away while omitting an arrow piercing the saint's right thigh, which appeared in the final form of the painting.
The painting will be exhibited in London on July 5th and is estimated to fetch a price between $5.1 million and $7.7 million at the auction.
The Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens completed the masterpiece "Saint Sebastian Attended by Two Angels" over 400 years ago.
Through his brushstrokes, Rubens depicts the tale of Saint Sebastian, a Roman soldier who was left to perish after being pierced by arrows for embracing Christianity, only to be miraculously saved by angels.
The painting is believed to have been commissioned by Ambrogio Spinola, an Italian noble and military commander, and completed around 1606-1608 in Italy or around 1609-1610 in Rubens' hometown of Antwerp, Belgium.
However, the artwork vanished from historical records during the 18th century and reemerged in Missouri, United States, in 1963. In 2006, it was acquired by its current owner, who mistakenly identified it as a painting by French artist Laurent de La Hire.
The painting left a profound impact on George Gordon, Sotheby's co-chairman of Old Master Paintings Worldwide, when he first encountered it at an exhibition. Gordon highlights Rubens as one of the most renowned and influential painters of the 17th century, a true pioneer in the development of Baroque art style.
"It's the liveliness of the brushwork," Gordon told CNN. "So it was easy to appreciate the speed and vivacity with which it was painted, which seemed to me to speak very strongly for Rubens' own brush."
Gordon further explains the significance of the subject choice, stating that Ambrogio Spinola, a devout Catholic and a soldier involved in a religious war, commissioned the artwork. Saint Sebastian's faith and refusal to denounce it led to his martyrdom, making it an appropriate subject for Spinola.
The Spinola family were great patrons and friends of Rubens, Gordon adds.
X-ray Analysis Reveals an Original Rubens
In April, X-ray analysis confirmed that the painting is indeed an original work by Rubens. Previously, the title of the original version was attributed to a painting in the Corsini family collection, currently displayed at the Galleria Corsini in Rome.
The analysis also revealed alterations made by Rubens beneath the final layer of the painting. For instance, in the original version, Rubens depicted Saint Sebastian facing away while omitting an arrow piercing the saint's right thigh, which appeared in the final form of the painting.
The painting will be exhibited in London on July 5th and is estimated to fetch a price between $5.1 million and $7.7 million at the auction.
