I Love This Kind Of Story

Giuseppe Zocchi (1711-1767), `View of the Tiber looking towards the Castel Sant'Angelo, with Saint Peter's in the distance

Of course it's always the British who have these painting hanging around.

From Art Daily:LONDON.- A painting by Giuseppe Zocchi (1711-1767), estimated to sell for £150,000-250,00 in Bonhams sale of Old Master Paintings on 8th July, made a world record price for the artist at £1.3m.

Titled `View of the Tiber looking towards the Castel Sant'Angelo, with Saint Peter's in the distance’, the painting was previously thought to have been painted by Locatelli, until a sketch by Zocchi exactly matching the painting came to light, revealing the true origins of the work.

It was acquired around 1949 by the present owner's parents. Formerly it hung at Inglewood House, Devon, and came to the current owner by descent.

Charles Lanning, Bonhams Regional Director in Devon says: “The painting turned up as the result of a valuation I did at a small cottage in the South Hams. The client knew it was a valuable picture but it was attributed to the wrong artist. The client had no idea what its auction value would be.”