愛污传媒

Skip to main content

'Portrait of a Lady' to go up for auction in Warsaw

A 17th century masterpiece by Peter Paul Rubens, Portrait of a Lady, at the DESA Unicum auction house in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, February 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) A 17th century masterpiece by Peter Paul Rubens, Portrait of a Lady, at the DESA Unicum auction house in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, February 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Share
WARSAW, Poland -

Peter Paul Rubens' 17th century masterpiece "Portrait of a Lady" is set to go up for auction in Poland next month, the DESA Unicum auction house said Thursday.

The Flemish master's oil-on-canvas portrait of a dark-haired woman in a rich black velvet dress has an estimated value of 18 million to 24 million zlotys ($4.5 million- $6 million).

The painting, currently owned by a British citizen, will be auctioned in Warsaw on March 17. It is expected to be one of the largest art sales ever to take place in Central or Eastern Europe, according to DESA Unicum.

"This exceptional piece of art, one of the most precious in the world, has made its way to us," DESA President Juliusz Windorbski told a press conference. "We are living a dream of every auction house in the world."

Experts say the work, painted by Rubens around 1620-25, with involvement from his Antwerp workshop, could be a likeness of the painter's first wife, Isabella Brant, or of a member of the Duarte family of jewelers, who were Rubens' neighbors. The model could also possibly have come from the Spanish royal court.

In the past the painting has belonged, among others, to 17th century British painter Sir Peter Lely. It was last shown in public in 1965.

In 2020, Rubens' "Portrait of a Young Woman, Half-Length, Holding a Chain" sold for almost 4 million pounds ($5.4 million) at Christie's in London.

Other lots on offer at the March auction will be works by Italian painter Giovanni Battista Lampi, who lived between 1751 and 1830, and by Polish masters of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Jacek Malczewski, Leon Wyczolkowski and Aleksander Gierymski.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

opinion

opinion Seven ways to help you save on everyday expenses

In his column for CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some of the best ways to save on everyday expenses, to help you keep up with life and get back on top of your financial health.

An invasion of goldfish at a quiet pond in the southwestern corner of the Town of Sylvan Lake is causing an uproar.

Nearly 50,000 ballots remain uncounted in the B.C. provincial election, and their contents 鈥 as well as the outcomes of any recounts 鈥 will determine the final result of the vote.

Local Spotlight

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥

John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn鈥檛 be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.

A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.

A B.C. judge has issued a decision in a years-long dispute between neighbours that began with a noise complaint over barking dogs, crowing roosters and quacking ducks 鈥 awarding $15,000 in damages to the plaintiffs in the case.