Velazquez painting sells for £3.5m

A recently attributed painting by 17th century Spanish artist Diego Velazquez was sold at auction in London for €3.5 million, Bonhams auction house announced.

Portrait of a Gentleman – a painting of a bald, middle-aged man with a moustache wearing a collar similar to those worn by men in the 1600s – was bought by a US art dealer for a price within the auction house’s estimate.

The painting was first spotted in August 2010 among a number of works by 19th century British artist Matthew Shepperson which had been brought to Bonhams’ office in Oxford for sale.

After extensive research by the auction house and tests including an x-radiograph, the painting was identified as a Velazquez and confirmed by Doctor Peter Cherry, an expert on the Spanish artist at the University of Dublin.