Overview
- The 15th‑century Madonna and Child panel sold at JS Fine Art in Banbury for £685,000 after a 15‑minute contest online, by phone, and in the room.
- The winning bidder is an unnamed private collector, and the painting has been delivered to a conservator as research into its origins proceeds.
- The auction set a new house record for JS Fine Art, surpassing its previous benchmark of £265,000.
- The work was discovered under a garage workbench, having been bought years earlier by a local owner who did not recognize its value.
- The piece is catalogued as a possible work by Pietro Vannucci (Perugino), the Renaissance master and teacher of Raphael, with formal attribution and provenance checks ongoing.