A £ 3 Million Masterpiece Found in Swansea Museum Reserves

SWONSI. A 17th-century Flemish masterpiece worth about £ 3 million was discovered in the storerooms of the Swansea Museum. Important and beautiful, according to experts, the picture artist Jacob Jordaens , a student of Peter Paul Rubens, was previously unknown to art critics. Note that the auction record for the works of Jordaens is equal to 3.6 million pounds (about 4.7 million US dollars).

The painting was identified by art historian Bendor Grosvenor (Bendor Grosvenor) during work on the new series of the program “Lost Masterpieces of Britain” (Britain’s Lost Masterpieces) on the channel BBC Four. The picture is a preparatory oil sketch for one of Jordan’s most famous works “Atalanta & Meleager”, which is located in Prado Museum in Madrid . The authenticity of the picture was helped by the marks of businessmen on its reverse side, namely the combination of the letter A and the coat of arms of the city of Antwerp, the hometown of Jordaens. Marks made it possible to establish that the picture was painted between 1619 and 1621.

Ben van Beneden, director of the Rubenshuis Museum in Antwerp, said: “This is a great find, I have absolutely no doubt that we are looking at the quintessence of Jordaens.” Bendor Grosvenor agreed with him: “At first glance, the picture looked as if it had been painted by a loser. But when the first impression leaves, you can consider the hand of the great master. We managed to find a picture that is not only important and valuable, but also helps to take a fresh look at the work of one of my favorite artists, Jacob Jordaens. ”

The painting is believed to have entered the Swansea Museum about 150 years ago and was cataloged as a work of an unknown artist of the 18th century. Last week, the find was presented at the museum.

Anna Sidorova © Gallerix.ru