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Recovered Rubens Downgraded to Follower’s Work

September 2, 2011 by Marion Maneker

The Greek government says it recovered a 1618 Rubens from two Greek thieves who were trying to sell the work for €1m:

The culture ministry would not identify the artwork, dated 1618. A Rubens painting called “The Caledonian Boar Hunt” was stolen 10 years ago from the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium, one museum official told Reuters.

“It’s a huge success that we have recovered this valuable painting,” said a police official who requested anonymity. “Culture Ministry experts who have examined it confirm its authenticity.”

Unfortunately, the museum it was stolen from now says the work is no longer considered a Rubens, according to AFP:

But the museum said the oil sketch that was stolen in 2001, “The Calydonian Boar Hunt”, is now attributed to one of Rubens’s followers and not the painter’s celebrated brush strokes. […]

At the time, thieves grabbed two paintings from the museum. On their way out, Dellaert said, the robbers dropped one of the artworks, “The Flagellation of Christ”, but ran away with “The Calydonian Boar Hunt”.

While the dropped painting is a genuine Rubens, the museum said the other piece was probably copied by one of the painter’s assistants from the original oil sketch, which is not in a private collection.

“It is itself a vigorous sketch and an attractive painting. The work is a good example of how Rubens’s style was assimilated by his pupils,” Dellaert said.

Nevertheless, the museum is eager to reclaim its painting, which at the time of the theft was worth an estimated 200,000 euros ($284,000).

Greece Says Recovers Stolen Rubens Painting (Reuters)

Belgian museum eager to reclaim stolen ‘Rubens’ painting (AFP)

The Old Masters Are Coming

July 5, 2010 by Marion Maneker

London’s Old Master sales begin on Tuesday.

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Rubens Rears His Head

May 3, 2010 by Marion Maneker

Colin Gleadell reports on the sale of an unattributed Old Master painting that has folks guessing it might be an early Rubens. This ahead of the recently attributed Rubens to be sold at Christie’s by the Spencer family:

A painting estimated to fetch no more than £2,000 sold for £692,000 at a routine Old Master sale at Bonhams in Knightsbridge last week. The portrait of a bearded man in armour was catalogued as 19th-century, in the “manner of Sir Peter Paul Rubens”. However, a number of dealers did not agree and turned up to bid on the picture. The successful bidder was Bendor Grosvenor, a director of the Philip Mould Gallery, which specialises in historical portraits. Mould, who has a track record of spotting “sleepers” at auctions Continue Reading

Althorp's Attic Sale Pitches Up a Rubens

March 30, 2010 by Marion Maneker

Bloomberg‘s Scott Reyburn has the rundown on the Spencer family “attic sale” that includes furniture, 19th Century carriages and few important Old Master paintings:

“The family is taking advantage of an opportunity,” said Orlando Rock, director of Christie’s Collections Department. “There’s been a polarization in the market toward masterpieces and if you’re lucky enough to own interesting things they can achieve prices that might not be seen again.”

Rubens’s 1613 to 1614 “A Commander Being Armed for Battle” will be valued at 8 million pounds to 12 million pounds, Christie’s International said in an e-mail today. The painting is among more than 600 lots being sold by the Spencers.Continue Reading

Lady of Spain

December 4, 2009 by Marion Maneker

photo credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
photo credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

The Guardian reminds us that the last time a Rubens was “rediscovered” the buyer paid £49.5m for it–and that was for a painting of a brutal massacre. How much do they think the beautiful Spanish lady will go for?Continue Reading

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