A 300-year-old painting by Italian master Sebastiano Ricci thought to be lost before turning up in Texas failed to sell at auction because nobody offered the minimum bid of $500,000, a Dallas auction house said Thursday.
Edmund Pillsbury, chairman of fine arts at Heritage Auction Galleries, says the economy is likely to blame for the lack of bids on "The Vision of St. Bruno," but that the family that owns the work is now considering a private sale.
The Ricci painting's journey from Italy to Texas was unraveled after the family that owned the work asked Pillsbury to take a look at it last year. They thought it could be a Ricci, but Pillsbury was skeptical.
Stunned when he saw the 3-by-4 foot painting depicting a robed St. Bruno, he soon confirmed it was the work of the famous Venetian painter.
No Minimum Bid of $500,000, No Sale!
Copyright AP - Associated Press
