A PAINTING estimated to be over 300-years-old has been discovered in a Warwickshire attic.
The Stratford resident found the old canvas which depicted drunken Bacchus – Roman God of wine – during a lockdown inspired rummage.
Although the painting was unframed and in poor condition, the finder decided to get it checked out before consigning it to the skip. They took it to Hansons Auctioneers who recognised it as the hand of 17th century Italian painter Filippo Lauri.
He worked in the Baroque period and was well-known for his mythological subjects. His works were commonly scattered throughout private and museum collections in Europe and North America.
Though it was rare for paintings of this period to be signed, head of fine arts Adrian Rathbone and consultant Andrew Bowyer said there was strong indication the work pointed to the hand of Lauri.
Despite its poor condition, it was estimated between £1,000 and £1,500. It eventually sold for £2,500 to an Italian client based in Rome – meaning the painting went home to its place of creation.
