An oil painting thought to be of considerable value is discovered in Dublin.
The painting has given rise to more rumour in the Dublin art market than any others since perhaps a couple of Thomas Gainsborough paintings slipped the net of dealers a few years ago.
The painting was bought by Dublin antique dealer Kevin O'Keeffe as part of builders clearance lot during restoration work at the Church of Our Lady of Refuge in Rathmines.
They just wanted to get rid of a load of rubbish out of the basement. So I bought it.
The badly damaged painting hung in Kevin O'Keeffe's Clanbrassil Street shop for a number of weeks before someone came into the shop and said it was very like a Caravaggio and he should have it checked out. Kevin O'Keeffe contacted the National Gallery of Ireland where it was x-rayed. The National Gallery had not further interest in the painting which according to some experts may be worth in excess of £100,000.
After passing through other Irish dealers, the painting sold at Sotheby's of London on 11 December 1991. The painting was attributed to a Northern Follower of Caravaggio and titled 'The Raising of Lazarus'. They estimated it would achieve between seven and ten thousand pounds. However, it sold for £54,000.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 7 January 1992. The reporter is Michael O'Sullivan.
