A Velázquez painting rediscovered by chance? This nurse from the Côte d'Azur wants to uncover the secrets of this canvas... and exhibit it

"Its place is in a museum," one might be tempted to say, paraphrasing the fictional archaeology professor Indiana Jones. This is in any case the opinion of Vincent ⁽¹⁾ , owner of a painting representing Saint Bartholomew and appraised as part of a cycle of religious paintings conceived in the 17th ^century by the Spanish master Diego Velázquez.

A painting miraculously "reappeared" in Metz in 2021 following the death of the father of this nurse living in Grasse and working in the eastern Var region.

"My sister and I had requested the services of an auctioneer to take charge of the sale of all the belongings contained in the house of our father, who collected antiques. During the inventory of the goods, this painting, which was hanging between the fryer and the coffee machine, aroused the interest of the professional, who thought it appropriate to have it appraised."

To do this, the painting was sent to Paris to the famous and renowned office of Éric Turquin, nicknamed "the eye" for his ability to detect old master paintings . "After a long study of almost two years and the solicitation of art historians and Guillaume Kientz, director of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library in New York, a conclusion was reached."

Probably not by Velázquez himself, but...

In this account, the painting is attributed to the "Velázquez entourage" and is linked to the incomplete series of apostles – an apostolado – painted by Velázquez in his early youth, which notably includes Saint Thomas and Saint Paul. "In the Caravaggio style, of similar dimensions and bearing a similar inscription in stick letters at the top, identifying them by their first names."

However, renowned painters could leave the completion of these apostolados to others "in order to turn to more interesting or prestigious commissions received in the meantime" . The authorship of this Saint Bartholomew in earthy colors and dressed in a cape therefore remains shrouded in mystery.

An X-ray to try to see more clearly

"I was made to understand that it was probably not a work painted by Velázquez himself, but without ever formally ruling it out either. In any case, it deserves further investigation," Vincent continues.

So, the interested party had the idea of ​​having an X-ray of his painting taken. This operation would reveal the brushstrokes and therefore the artist's technique.

A few days ago, a radiologist from Saint-Raphaël agreed to play the game... Now all that remains is to find an expert eye willing to examine these X-ray images.

Which, against all expectations, has proven quite complex since Vincent's research began. "I approached the Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans, which recently organized an exhibition on Velázquez's Apostolado. In fact, a painting had been added during the exhibition after a private collector revealed it. And in the case of this painting, infrared and X-ray images were quickly taken under the auspices of the museum, which also promptly exhibited it."

The desire to see the work exhibited

Today, Vincent finds himself in a state of complete incomprehension. "Why hasn't this painting piqued the curiosity of specialists more? Sometimes I have the impression that they don't want to risk their reputation by confirming or denying the authorship of this work. I also wonder if museums aren't waiting for me to put it up for sale without confirmation of its origin [the painting has been estimated at between 60,000 and 80,000 euros in its current state, Editor's note] in order to have it possibly authenticated after purchase. But that won't happen, because although it was initially placed in the hands of an auctioneer with the rest of my father's belongings, I have no intention of selling it today."

However, by his own admission, Vincent believes it would be a shame if this piece remained accessible only to him and his loved ones. Especially since the latter is "more of a contemporary art lover" than a Baroque painter.

Also, the latter expresses "the desire of our family to see this Saint Bartholomew exhibited" . Whether or not it is recognized as the work of the Spanish master.

This could soon be the case: very recently, the painting accompanied by its X-ray has aroused renewed interest from an exhibition curator at the Museum of Fine Arts in Orléans.

To be continued...

1. The first name has been changed for anonymity.