A Rediscovered Murillo Masterpiece at Auction

A painting by the Spanish Baroque painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618-1682), recently rediscovered in a private collection in Madrid, is one of the highlights of Christie's Old Masters auction on 22 April in New York.

The painting, Saint Francis Embracing Christ on the Cross, corresponds in composition to a painting of the same name, which is in the collection of the Museo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, and is one of the works Murillo created for the Capuchin monastery in his hometown of Seville.

At first the experts believed that this was probably a copy of Murillo's painting that had been commissioned by a private individual. These commissions were common and the copies were made by the master himself or the employees of his workshop.

However, an X-ray examination revealed details that had been painted over and differed from the known composition, including an additional group of putti (cherubs). This led to a new theory regarding the rediscovered painting, suggesting that it was painted prior to the well-known version as a study for what Murillo planned to paint for the monastery in Seville. However, Murillo may have changed his original painting due to the monks' requests.

See also: Top 10 Rediscovered Masterpieces

"Whether Murillo painted this work before or after the version in Seville remains open to debate," Jonquil O'Reilly, an expert on Old Masters at Sotheby's, said. "Either way, it’s an important addition to our understanding of his Capuchin cycle, as well as his entire oeuvre. The work’s striking intimacy, coupled with the beautifully preserved paint surface, which allows full appreciation of the artist’s fluid, confident brushwork and brilliant depiction of anatomy, make it a fascinating rediscovery."

Murillo's rediscovered version of Saint Francis Embracing Christ on the Cross will be offered on 22 April at Christie's with an estimate of $1.2-1.8 million (£870,000-1.31 mil).

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