Anthony Van Dyck original discovered on internet
Dr Bendor Grosvenor, an art historian and dealer, spotted the oil painting on the BBC Your Paintings website and has confirmed it as an original worth in the region of £1 million.
The portrait, which dates from the 1630s is of Olivia Boteler Porter, who was a lady-in-waiting to Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I.
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Hide AdIt has been kept for years in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co Durham, where it was thought to be a copy “after Sir Anthony Van Dyck”.
Tonight’s BBC 2 Culture Show follows Dr Grosvenor and presenter Alastair Sooke as they restore and re-examine the painting to identify its history.
Your Paintings: A Culture Show Special is on BBC2 at 6.30pm tonight.