The painting once enjoyed pride of place, hanging in a queen’s chambers. Then centuries of varnish, overpaint and dirt obscured not only the work but also its artist. The layers of history have now been pulled back, revealing a striking work by a singular artist that was once thought lost.
Or, to tell the story another way: the king of England’s attic is not like your attic.
The painting by Artemisia Gentileschi, Susanna and the Elders, had lost its frame and attribution by the time it was put into storage more than 100 years ago. But it’s now returning to the public eye, after it was unearthed in an inventory of art held by King Charles I (who, we’ll remind you, died in 1649).