Dust covered painting in attic found to be a masterpiece
The 45 year old woman had been given the art work for her ninth birthday but had kept it in her loft for years and forgot about it until she put her house up for sale.
An eagle-eyed auctioneer who was valuing her belongings spotted the oil painting and was stunned when he realised it was by 19th century artist John Everett Millais.
As well as being worth thousands, the dusty painting has also shed light on a 150-year-old scandal of a love triangle involving Pre-Raphaelite artist Millais.
The portrait is of a woman called Effie Gray who was married to Millais' mentor and art critic John Ruskin at the time.
Millais, whose work includes the famous Ophelia painting, met and fell in love with Gray in 1853 while he used her for another painting, the Order of Release.
Gray was in a loveless marriage with Ruskin and left him to marry Millais three years later. They went on to have eight children together.
The portrait of Effie was bought in 1972 by the unnamed vendor's mother who gave it to her daughter as a birthday gift...
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)
An eagle-eyed auctioneer who was valuing her belongings spotted the oil painting and was stunned when he realised it was by 19th century artist John Everett Millais.
As well as being worth thousands, the dusty painting has also shed light on a 150-year-old scandal of a love triangle involving Pre-Raphaelite artist Millais.
The portrait is of a woman called Effie Gray who was married to Millais' mentor and art critic John Ruskin at the time.
Millais, whose work includes the famous Ophelia painting, met and fell in love with Gray in 1853 while he used her for another painting, the Order of Release.
Gray was in a loveless marriage with Ruskin and left him to marry Millais three years later. They went on to have eight children together.
The portrait of Effie was bought in 1972 by the unnamed vendor's mother who gave it to her daughter as a birthday gift...