Possible da Vinci painting found in Scottish farmhouse; could be worth $150 million

Yahoo ^ | August 7, 2012 | Eric Pfeiffer

[NYer]

Fiona McLaren, 59, had kept an old painting in her Scottish farmhouse for decades. She reportedly didn't think much of the painting, which had been given to her as a gift by her father. But after she finally decided to have the painting appraised, some experts are speculating that it may in fact be a 500-year-old painting by Leonardo da Vinci and potentially worth more than $150 million.

"I showed it to him [auctioneer Harry Robertson] and he was staggered, speechless save for a sigh of exclamation," said Ms. McLaren, according to The People.

The Daily Mail says the painting may be of Mary Magdalene holding a young child. The painting is now undergoing further analysis by experts at the Cambridge University and the Hamilton Kerr Institute, who will attempt to uncover its exact age and origins.

Even if the painting is not a da Vinci original, it is believed to at least be from the da Vinci school, created by one of the master's pupils during the 16th century.

A papal bull was found attached to the back of the painting and is believed to have originated from the era of Pope Paul V, head of the Catholic Church in the early 17th century. McLaren says the word "Magdalene," is visible on the faded paper.

McLaren says she hopes the painting is sold to a museum, and she plans to donate a percentage of the painting's sale value after it is auctioned.

[NYer]

Experts say the six highlighted points indicate this may be a daVinci original (Daily Mail)

[NYer]

A papal bull was found attached to the back of the painting and is believed to have originated from the era of Pope Paul V, head of the Catholic Church in the early 17th century.

Catholic Ping
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[Jonty30]

Some people have all the luck.

[ClearCase_guy]

Picasso had his “blue period” and apparently da Vinci had his “red circles with numbers” period.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

A daVinci in Scotland?

What on earth is a daVinci doing in Scotland?

(with apologies to Churchill aka Rudolf Hess)

[C210N]

Perhaps da Vinci all along used the paint by number system. Who would’a known had it not been for this fascinating find!

[mnehring]

LOL

[Joe 6-pack]

"Perhaps da Vinci all along used the paint by number system."

Of course he did. You never heard of the Da Vinci code? ;-)

[Joe 6-pack]

"A daVinci in Scotland? What on earth is a daVinci doing in Scotland?"

The illuminati conspiracy theorists/Dan Brown are going to make a lot of hay with this one.

[musicman]

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[mnehring]

Interesting symbolism. Usually DaVinci and his contemporaries have the Magdalene holding a cup as a way to distinguish her. In this case, she is holding a flower. It has some similarities (theme wise) to the Virgin on the Rocks by DaVinci. I wonder if it was more to represent St. Mary the Mother versus the Magdalene?

[Ciexyz]

They should search another closet in that farmhouse, they might find a Stradivarius.

[I_Publius]

McLaren?? I think she’s a long, lost relative of mine. :)

[allmendream]

No art expert - but I have seen enough religious paintings that a young woman holding a child greeting another child is almost ALWAYS - Mary the Mother holding the Christ child meeting John the Baptist as a child.

[mnehring]

I wouldn’t say always (just because I don’t know) but I have to agree with your observation. It was a very popular subject. Adding in the lamb and the old child (John?) holding a staff which he is usually symbolized with, I think you are spot on.

[allmendream]

Notice that John the Baptist is depicted with a shepherds staff and sheep.

[Kirkwood]

Also the woman in the painting has a halo. I'm not sure if Mary Magdalene was every represented with a halo.

[AnAmericanMother]

Workshop of. Or a copy.

No way that is da Vinci himself, unless it's a very, very early work. Or perhaps he painted some of it and left his workshop to finish the rest. The figures of the lamb and St. John the Baptist are clumsy and out of drawing.

Even his preliminary sketches are truer and more proportioned.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I’d be more impressed by twenty seven eight-by-ten color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one.

[Charles Henrickson]

It’s no Ross.

[livius]

I don’t think it’s by the hand of the master because it has no resemblance to anything else he ever did (in terms of brush strokes, line, etc.).

It may be from his studio, however, because artists maintained a stable of people who either copied or executed their works, that is, translated a sketch into a painting.

It’s still very interesting. The style, to me, looks like a curious combination of modern, looking at the faces of the Virgin and St John, and pre-Renn, looking at the setting combined with the depiction of the Infant.

I think it’s a workshop production, and I believe there may have been a Spanish painter involved, based mainly on the depiction of the Infant.

[AnAmericanMother]

Not Mary Magdalene, doesn't have any of her attributes (long unbound hair - skull - egg - jar of ointment).

Clearly the Blessed Virgin with Christ and John the Baptist (a subject that da Vinci painted repeatedly).

Trust the Daily Mail to be utterly clueless - not exactly a bunch of highbrows over there.

[ClearCase_guy]

You can get anything you want
At Alice’s Restaurant
(excepting Alice).

[AnAmericanMother]

Explaining what each one was to be used in evidence against us . . . . .

[Billthedrill]

I looked in my barn but all that was there was a can of fence stain and a note - "do it yerself, you lazy bastidge. Leo"

Some people have all the luck.

[Charles Henrickson]

To have John the Baptist holding a cross and with/pointing to a lamb ("Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!") is not that unusual among artists. Here, for example, is a painting by Matthias Grünewald:

[STD]

Even if the painting is not a da Vinci original, it is believed to at least be from the da Vinci school, created by one of the master's pupils during the 16th century.

Right, more Brit newspaper sensationalism!

[Scott from the Left Coast]

LOL...maybe a damned good thriller novel and movie!

[Mamzelle]

re: Picasso had his “blue period” and apparently da Vinci had his “red circles with numbers” period.)))

lol.

[Mamzelle]

Why in the world would they think that this is Mary Magdalen, unless they’ve got a skull full of Da Vinci Code?

[driftless2]

"doing in Scotland"

He was there for the Scottish Highland Games. Also to get a bottle of Glenlivet. Och Aye!

[goat granny]

the child on the left is pointing to the lamb and holding a staff that is a cross over the childs head...(this child is the lamb of God and the cross is symbolic of the redeemer) just my opinion and the flower if you look at it with a magnifying glass does not look like a carnation....similar to what a zinnia looks like...too flat headed to be a carnation...jmho

[mikrofon]

[martin_fierro]

[Right Wing Assault]

Some people have all the luck.

Just reminded me to check my lottery ticket! I'll be back!

I'm back.

Some people have all the luck.

Zero correct numbers out of 6.

I already checked the garage. Lot of good stuff in there, but no paintings, violins, or parchment scrolls.

[miss marmelstein]

Leonardo, indeed, had a workshop. One of his artists was a fellow named Giovanni Beltraffio. Another was Marco Or...something or other. It's chronicled in the wonderful historical novel “The Romance of Leonardo Da Vinci” which is based on Vasari’s biography of the one and only Chairman of the Board.

I don't think it looks like his work at all.

[Fiji Hill]

The artist’s last name isn’t “da Vinci,” which refers to his birthplace at Vinci in Tuscany. He should be referred to as Leonardo.

[publius911]

Bookmark

[FrdmLvr]

LMAO!

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Perhaps da Vinci all along used the paint by number system. ***

There was a cartoon in Playboy mag about 40 years ago about this. At least I didn’t see it in my Charles ADDAMS book.

A restorer has removed a small section of paint and calls for his assistants to see the “paint by numbers” under drawing.

[C210N]

Interesting! A bit of searching, and voila: