Lost masterpiece found hanging in modest bungalow sells for over £250,000
A LOST masterpiece found hanging above a bed in a bungalow in Enfield has sold for more than £250,000.
The depiction of the Madonna and Child by Filippino Lippi, a student of famed Renaissance artist Botticelli, was discovered during a routine valuation.
The painting’s owner, who inherited it from her father more than 30 years ago, is a 90-year-old woman with dementia who has been living in a care home since last year.
Her family were selling her bungalow in Enfield, North London, when the surprising discovery was made.
The oil on canvas, which measures 50cm by 43.5cm, went to a UK bidder for £255,000 in an online auction.
Auctioneer Peter Mason said: “We knew it would do well but the final price exceeded our expectations.”
Siobhan Tyrrell, head of valuations at Dawsons Auctioneers, spotted the painting.
She said: “There was nothing exceptional in the house until I walked into the bedroom and saw the painting hanging, off kilter, above a bed. I recognised it was significant straight away.”
Filippino Lippi is believed to have been born in Italy in 1457 and was a pupil of Botticelli. His work includes frescoes, altarpieces and paintings.