A twice-stolen painting by Italian Renaissance master Titian, once found in a plastic bag at a London bus stop, is expected to fetch up to $32 million at auction in July.
“The Rest on the Flight into Egypt,” created by Titian (real name Tiziano Vecellio) in the early 16th century, is set to go under the hammer at Christie’s with an estimated value between £15 million and £25 million ($19 million-$32 million).
The painting, which depicts Jesus, Mary, and Joseph resting during their flight to Egypt to escape King Herod’s decree to kill the young Christ, measures just 18.25 inches by 24.75 inches (46.2 centimeters by 62.9 centimeters). This piece is notably smaller compared to the larger works Titian produced later in his career.
The oil-on-canvas artwork has a fascinating and tumultuous history. It passed through the hands of various European aristocrats and was looted by Napoleonic troops during their occupation of Vienna in 1809, before being taken to Paris. It was returned to Vienna in 1815 and subsequently moved through private collections until it ended up with John Alexander Thynne, the 4th Marquess of Bath, in Wiltshire, England.
In 1995, the painting was stolen from Longleat, the estate of Thynne’s descendants, and vanished for seven years until it was discovered at a London bus stop by art detective Charles Hill.
“This is a painting that has been coveted by aristocrats, archdukes, and emperors alike, prized for its vividly colored scene of familial affection within the natural world,” said Christie’s in a statement. “Like its subjects, ‘The Rest on the Flight into Egypt’ has been on a long and eventful journey — a journey that’s far from over.”
The painting will be offered as part of the Old Masters Part I auction at Christie’s in London on July 2.