GAMBLE

Painting Bought at Auction on a ‘Hunch’ Turns Out to Be Masterpiece

The anonymous work was purchased at an auction house somewhere in northern Europe.

A painting bought by a former gallerist who had a hunch it might be valuable has turned out to be the work of Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens. Belgian art dealer Klaas Muller bought the painting three years ago from an unspecified auction house in northern Europe for $115,000 on the off chance that it might be the work of the virtuoso Baroque painter. Speaking to The Guardian, he refused to give the name of the auction house for fear of letting people onto his secret. Featuring an old man with a woman’s face in his beard, the painting was listed as the work of an anonymous member of the “Flemish school.” It’s now been studied, and he’s confident it’s the creation of its most influential member, whose paintings have recently sold for $580,000 to $1.15 million. “I wasn’t sure it was a Rubens, I just knew it was very Rubens-esque, so it was still a gamble,” he told the newspaper. “I have a library of books about him at home and look at them most evenings. It’s a bit of an addiction.” Art historian Ben van Beneden studied the painting to assess its veracity and agreed with Muller. He said, “I think it’s very likely. You have to be cautious because you are dealing with a painting that wasn’t made for the market but as a working material. But the craftsmanship is outstanding—it has a very lifelike quality.”