Aug. 19 (UPI) — A Canaletto painting thought lost by experts is going up for auction after appraisers found it hanging in the English home of a recently deceased woman.
British auction house Gorringe’s said appraisers spotted the painting hanging in the Lewes, England, home of a recently deceased woman whose mother purchased the artwork in 1920.
The painting, titled Venice, The Dogana from the Bacino di San Marco, depicts the Dogana da Mar, an old customs building in Venice, Italy. The painting is believed to date from the mid-18th century.
The auction house said the deceased owner of the painting apparently was aware of the artist’s identity, but did not want to sell the artwork.
The painting is expected to sell for up to $200,000 when it is auctioned Sept. 28.
“Bearing in mind larger paintings by the artist sell for millions, this is an opportunity for a collector to buy at a relatively affordable price,” Philip Taylor, managing partner at Gorringe’s, told The Telegraph.
“We are expecting great interest for a work by a celebrated artist that is fresh to the market after 100 years.”
