GBP 155,500 Old Master is resold for GBP 4.5m

AN Old Master painting auctioned for GBP 155,500 three years ago has been resold for GBP 4.5 million to the National Museum of Israel.

The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem was thought to have been painted by Pietro Testa, an obscure Italian artist when it was bought by Hazlitt, Goodin and Fox of St James's in 1995.

It had been kept under lock and key at the Suffolk home of Ernest Onions, a dealer in pigswill, who made his fortune during the Second World War After extensive cleaning and restoration, its value soared when Sir Denis Mahon, the foremost expert on Nicholas Poussin, attributed it to the celebrated French 17th century artist. The government put a three-month export stop on the sale, but no British buyer came forward. It will be on view briefly in London in March prior to its departure for Israel.

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