This Is Another One Of Those Good Luck Stories I Like So Much,

go back to the 1820s,

little-known artist Matthew Shepperson, who lived on a modest income and collected portraits as a hobby, purchased the one above, experts believe he may have paid as little as seven shillings for it – and most likely never knew the value of what he had as it was not signed, after his death, his family kept it in a cupboard with all of his other paintings, which were passed down the generations as heirlooms, eventually one of Shepperson’s relatives in Oxfordshire decided to sell the paintings, hoping to get £300 for each one at best,


but experts at Bonhams auctioneers were convinced it was an old master as soon as they saw it, but spent months studying it before they could confirm it was a Velázquez, the painting’s origin has now been verified with scientific paint tests, an X ray scan and consultation with six independent experts, it is believed the portrait, which is the 99th Velásquez to be discovered, may depict Juan Mateos, master of the hunt for Philip IV of Spain, it is estimated to sell for between £2m and £3m when it goes on sale at Bonhams in central London on December 7, lucky or what? I love stories like this, this one even more so as it appears the owner is described as, 'he’s just an ordinary person like you or I, He’s a quiet sort of chap'.