A rediscovered work by famed 17th century Spanish old master, Diego Velázquez, recently fetched 8.7M USD at auction. The 57 x 44cm work is appropriately named ‘Retrato de niña o Joven Inmaculada’ or in English, Portrait of a Girl or Young Immaculate.
‘Retrato de niña o Joven Inmaculada’ by artist Diego Velázquez
The painting had created quite the stir when it was rediscovered, and was subjected to strict export restrictions by Spain’s government due to the works significant Spanish cultural value. Apparently, ‘Retrato de niña o Joven Inmaculada’ had been owned privately by the same family for several generations, just recently being rediscovered by art historian & consultant, Richard de Willermin. Diego Velázquez is well noted as one of the greatest Spanish artists, currently over 60 Velázquez’s are being displayed at The Prado Museum of Madrid. Experts at the Prado have also been introduced to this newly found work, but they have issued no official statement regarding the piece.
The Prado Museum of Madrid
No pre-sale estimate was given by the auction house; though the work was sold for the initial price of 8M Euros (8.7M USD) with no higher bids offered. The buyer is anonymous, though he or she is likely a Spainish resident due to the fact that this work is not permitted to leave the country due to its cultural significance. As a true master, Velázquez created fewer than 200 works, though in no less than meticulate detail. This piece is an incredibly rare work, as only 120 works by Velázquez are known to be in existence at this time.
Diego Velázquez
The Auctioneers noted that they had an X-ray analysis conducted of the work with findings indicating that beneath the under paint the young girl features a crown of stares nearly indictical to the Immaculate Conception (another well known work by Velázquez).
