Old Master sets new record for Banbury auction house
24/11/2025
The work captivated bidders online, by phone, and in the auction room
An Old Master painting which was discovered gathering dust beneath a garage workbench has sold for more than half a million pounds at an auction house in Banbury.
The painting of the Madonna and child had drawn national and international interest after being catalogued by JS Fine Art auctioneers as an “Italian Old Master”.
Its believed to be by Pietro Vannucci, who was known as Perugino and lived from 1450 to 1523.
The work captivated bidders online, by phone, and in the auction room for an unprecedented 15-minute contest, with the hammer finally coming down at £685,000.
Joe Smith, founder and principal auctioneer at JS Fine Art, said: “It was one of those moments every auctioneer dreams of. We knew it was special, but the response was beyond anything we expected. The longer you looked, the more you realised the quality of the workmanship and the elegance of the Renaissance detailing.”
The painting was purchased by an unidentified private collector.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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