A Forgotten Artwork
For around 150 years, a still life painting depicting a half-eaten pie and nuts collected dust in Woodford Academy, a 19th-century school in Australia. The painting was one of many artifacts donated to the National Trust of Australia and recently rediscovered in a major collection review.
A Remarkable Signature
Sent for restoration, the painting revealed a small, knife-cut signature hidden under varnish, attributed to Dutch painter Gerrit Willemsz. Heda. Experts believe the piece might have been painted with his father, Willem Claesz. Heda, a renowned artist of the Dutch Golden Age.
Priceless Discovery
Experts suggest Heda was only 17 when he created the work, now valued at $5 million. The painting’s journey to Australia remains a mystery, but researchers speculate it arrived with Alfred Fairfax, who purchased the academy’s building in the 1870s.
For around 150 years, a still life painting depicting a half-eaten pie and nuts collected dust in Woodford Academy, a 19th-century school in Australia. The painting was one of many artifacts donated to the National Trust of Australia and recently rediscovered in a major… pic.twitter.com/yOyrFpqvbn
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) November 17, 2024