SOTHEBY'S TO OFFER PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN CALLED 'LA BELLE FERRONNIERE'

PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN CALLED 'LA BELLE FERRONNIERE', A 21 BY 17 INCH PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG LADY IN THREE-QUARTER PROFILE, IS SET TO BE AUCTIONED AT SOTHEBY'S, NEW YORK, ON 28.JANUARY AND CARRIES WITH IT A RESPECTABLE ESTIMATE OF $300-500,000. HOWEVER, AS CAROL VOGEL REPORTS IN THE TIMES, IT ONCE COULD HAVE FETCHED MUCH, MUCH MORE. SCHOLARS ONCE ATTRIBUTED THE WORK TO ITALIAN MASTER LEONARDO DA VINCI, THOUGH SCHOLARSHIP OVER THE PAST CENTURY HAS CONTESTED THAT OPINION. THE SOTHEBY'S CATALOGUE LISTS THE WORK AS HAVING BEEN COMPLETED BY A 'FOLLOWER OF LEONARDO DA VINCI' BEFORE 1750, A CONCLUSION BASED ON THE PRESENCE OF LEAD-TIN YELLOW IN THE PAINTING, WHICH WENT UNUSED FROM THE 18th THROUGH THE MID-20th CENTURY. THE PAINTING'S ESTIMATE, WHICH IS RATHER HIGH FOR WHAT IT IS, IN EFFECT, A COPY OF A WORK IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE LOUVRE, CAN IN PART BE ATTRIBUTED TO ITS NOTORIOUS HISTORY. IT STANDS AT THE CENTER OF A DISPUTE THAT BEGAN IN 1921 BETWEEN ITS OWNERS HARRY AND ANDREE HAHN AND OLD MASTER DEALER JOSEPH DUVEEN, WHO DECLARED THE WORK A FAKE (WITHOUT HAVING SEEN IT), LAUNCHING A LEGAL BATTLE THAT WOULD SPAN THE DECADE. DUVEEN FINALLY SETTLED OUT OF COURT, PAYING $60,000 TO THE OWNERS FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM HIS COMMENTS.