Colin Gleadell singles out this sleeper from the Old Master sales:
a male portrait with heavily darkened varnish at Sotheby’s described as “Roman School 17th century” and estimated at £10,000, which sold to the dealer Nando Peretti of the Walpole Gallery for £380,750.
Once thought to be by Bernini, Sotheby’s was fairly sure it wasn’t. No doubt the magic of the picture restorer will reveal all before too long.
Cultural Gifts: how tax saving incentives helped add £50 million to museum inventories (Telegraph)
