Frans Post's tropical masterpiece found in barn fetches record amount

Forget the Rembrandts and Vermeers for a moment. The undisputed star of Sotheby's Old Masters auction was a Dutchman dipping his brush in tropical light: Frans Post. His painting 'View of Olinda, Brazil, with Ruins of the Jesuit Church', found in a forgotten barn in Connecticut, went down in history as his best-selling work ever.

What once seemed no more than a charred panel turned out to be a masterpiece of the Golden Age. The painting, executed on an exceptionally large oak panel, is one of only three works of this size in Post's oeuvre, and is among the rarest and most refined of his career.

Remarkably, it was only in the 90s that it came to light, hidden in a dusty barn attic in Connecticut. It was George Wachter of Sotheby's who recognized its potential, despite the thick layer of grime. After restoration by renowned art restorer Nancy Krieg, a magical scene emerged: tropical Brazil, as seen through Dutch eyes. 

Post in its golden period

Frans Post lived in the Brazilian province of Pernambuco between 1637 and 1644. He recorded the flora, fauna, architecture and life there in hundreds of sketches. Back in Haarlem, he built a successful career on the basis of that material as a painter of the so-called West Indian landscapes.

The painting now up for auction dates from the third phase of his oeuvre; according to experts, his most productive and artistically mature period, roughly between 1660 and 1670. His works became more imaginative, richer in colour and detail, and larger in design. 

That the painting has been preserved in an almost intact state is a rarity in itself. But the fact that it also turns out to be a unique composition and fetched the absolute top price ever for a work by Post completes the story.

At Sotheby's, the masterpiece was hammered down at $6 million, with auction fees accounting for a final price of $7,37 million.