A painting attributed to 17th-century Roman artist Pietro Testa
that sold at Sotheby's London in October 1995 for $260,000 is now said
to be a major work by Nicolas Poussin worth as much as $17 million. The
painting, believed to represent the pillaging of Carthage, belonged to
the heirs of Ernest Onians, a businessman who made a fortune in the ham
industry. Two important dealers, Hazlitt and Mould, vied ferociously for
the work in bidding that started at $17,000 and ended at $260,000, with
Hazlitt the victor.
The canvas was quite dirty and could have been a copy. But after the sale, the canvas was carefully examined and experts managed to discern, partly hidden behind a horde of horsemen, the image of a gold menorah, suggesting that the painting actually depicted the pillaging of Jerusalem. Poussin is known to have executed such a work in 1626 for Cardinal Francesco Barberini. According to the inventory of Barberini's collection, the Sotheby's canvas has the same dimensions as the Poussin work. X-rays show traces of sketching and changes in lines that repudiate the idea that the work is that of a copyist.
Poussin expert Denis Mahon believes the painting is by Poussin, as does Pierre Rosenberg, head of the French museums. Now the question is whether the heirs of Ernest Onians will pursue Sotheby's for compensation for having sold the painting 60 times under its true value.