Painting Found in Barn with Bird Droppings Sold for 3.8 Billion Won at Auction

Van Dijk's Early Work Found in Farm Barn

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] A painting found covered in bird droppings in a barn in the United States was sold for $3.1 million (about 3.8 billion KRW) at a Sotheby's auction in New York. The painting was later identified as a large life-size study by the 17th-century painter Anthony van Dyck (1599?1641).

Van Dijk 'Study for Saint Hieronymus' [Photo by Sotheby's website]

According to CNN on the 30th (local time), this painting is a study for 'Saint Jerome' exhibited at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The oil painting on canvas, measuring 95 cm in height and 59.5 cm in width, depicts a naked old man with a white beard extending down to his chest.

According to Sotheby's, the artwork was discovered in a barn on a farm in Kinderhook, New York, in the early 2000s. Kinderhook is a small village established by Dutch immigrants in the late 17th century.

The person who recognized the artwork was the late Albert B. Roberts, a public official and collector. Roberts reportedly purchased the discarded painting for only $600 (about 738,000 KRW).

He hung the painting in his home for a long time before beginning a serious investigation into its provenance. As a result, he speculated that it was a study painted by van Dyck in Belgium between 1618 and 1620 while he was an assistant to Peter Paul Rubens, created for 'Saint Jerome and the Angel.'

CNN reported that only two large life-size studies by van Dyck currently exist, including this work.

The estimated auction price for this piece was between $2 million and $3 million when it was listed in Sotheby's 'Master Paintings Part 1' auction on the 26th. It was actually sold for $3.1 million. According to Sotheby's, part of the proceeds from this auction will go to the Albert B. Roberts Foundation, which supports artists.