One of two works of Vermeer in private hands, put up for auction of Old masters Christie's with an estimate 6-8 million pounds. To fix the authorship of the "Holy Praxeda" for Vermeer helped recent examination

auction house Christie's put up for auction Dating back to 1655 painting by Jan Vermeer (1632-1675) "Holy Praxeda" — from the earliest known works of the artist and one of the two works are currently in private collections (estimate 6-8 million pounds).

Vermeer's Authorship was confirmed by the results of the recent examination conducted by the State Museum of Amsterdam, the Free University of Amsterdam. Experts have established that you used when painting the white paint allows you to attribute the work to the Dutch school of painting, not Italian. Moreover, the examination showed that the paint from the same batch was used by the artist when creating another early work, titled "Diana with nymphs", are in the collection of the Hague Mauritshuis@

"Holy Praxeda" exhibit on July 8 2014 on the London evening auction "Art of the Old Masters and British paintings" from the collection of Barbara Piasecka-Джонсон, whose Fund will be allocated the proceeds from the sale raboty@

"Holy Praxeda" was written, when Vermeer was only 22 or 23 years old. To this period belong the two other paintings of Vermeer, written on biblical and mythological subjects, — "Christ with Martha and Mary" (national gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh) and "Diana and nymphs" (Mauritshuis, the Hague). Together, these three works present us with the earliest stage of the work of Vermeer, which preceded the period of formation of the style that made him znamenitym@

"Holy Praxeda" was first attributed to Vermeer in 1969. Mrs. Piasecka-Джонсон acquired the painting after a year, once in 1986 it was finally included in the body of the artist. "Holy Praxeda" was exhibited at the retrospective exhibition of the artist's works held in 1995/1996, in the National gallery of art in Washington and the Mauritshuis in the Hague. The last time it was exhibited in 2012/2013 in the complex "Quirinal stables" in Rime@

Besides the obvious stylistic influence of contemporary Italian painting that can be traced in the early works of Vermeer, composite "Holy Praxeda" close the eponymous work by the Florentine artist Felice Ficcarelli (CA. 1605 — approx. 1669). In his treatment of the subject Vermeer gave expression Praxeda more tenderness and piety, giving her hand a crucifix, on which she looks thoughtfully, squeezing out the sponge in the Cup the blood of Christian martyrs. Roman Praxeda lived in the II century ad and purpose of his life chose to care for the bodies of those who were martyred for the Christian veru@

Barbara Piasecka-Джонсон (1937-2013) was a philanthropist and a connoisseur of art, the love of which was supported by the art education received at home — in Poland. In 1971 Barbara Piasecka married the son of one of the founders of a Corporation Johnson and Johnson John Seward Johnson (1895-1983). Many of the works, which subsequently enlarged the collection of Mrs. Johnson, were acquired by the spouses together. Choice of Mrs. Johnson and her charity work was supervised deepest religioznosti@

Mrs Johnson with great interest followed the course of the examination, which was subjected to another sample of Dutch painting from her collection — Dating back to the year 1658, Rembrandt's "bust portrait podoconiosis men", sold at Christie's auction in 2009 for 20.2 million funtov@

Source: press-релиз Christie's