Figure by Rubens found in the archives of the University of Britain

Drawings by Marie de Medici, Queen of France, made by Peter Paul Rubens today are in the collections of the British Museum, V&A, the Louvre, and, as it turned out today, in the archives of the University of Reading (Reading University).

Photo: University of Reading

This drawing of the second wife of the French king Henry IV was almost certainly made during the life of Maria Medici, most likely in 1622. For several decades, he was kept at the university, in a locked cabinet.

“It was very interesting, really,” said Anna Gruetzner Robins, a university professor. “Rubens in the closet! This is not what you expect to find. ”

The drawing was bought in the 1950s by a professor of fine art from Reading, to whom the university allocated a modest budget for the purchase of materials for educational purposes. Even then, it was suggested that the drawing was Rubens’ original work, but this idea was not taken seriously. It is believed that a figure of 5 or 10 pounds was paid for the drawing, and this was the main argument in favor of the opinion about the fakeness of this work of art.

The true value of the figure was only recently determined. It turned out that in the XVIII century it belonged to Jonathan Richardson (Jonathan Richardson), one of the first collectors of Rubens in the UK. Further research showed that the drawing was also in the collection of Henry Wellesly, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Wellington.

Experts believe that the drawing is in excellent condition, and will complement the collection of the already known four images of Maria Medici, owned by Rubens. His probable estimate is about 75,000 pounds.

Anna Sidorova © Gallerix.ru