“Beggar Boys Playing Dice” after Murillo
ARTIST
The artist of the original painting was Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1618-1682). He was the most popular Baroque religious painter of the 17th century Spain. Most of his works were religious such as the well- known “Virgin of the Rosary” and “The Vision of St. Anthony”. Murillo also painted about 20 genre paintings usually of beggar young boys and girls in tattered clothing involved in an idle pastime. This was one of those subjects. In 1660 as the leading master in Seville, he founded an academy of painting. Murillo had many pupils and innumerable followers. His paintings were copied and imitated throughout Spain and its empire.
DESCRIPTION
This genre oil on canvas painting features three young boys playing dice in a Seville alleyway. The copy for sale is 30 ¾” x 25 ¼ “ (78 x 64 cm) or about half the size of the original which is 57 ½” by 42 ½” (146 x 108.5 cm). The painting is also called “Young Boys Playing Dice”.
HISTORY
The original picture was painted by Murillo in about 1675. The original was acquired in 1698 by Duke Max Emanuel in Antwerp while he was the Spanish Governor of the Netherlands. The original painting is currently in the old Royal Pinakothek in Munich.
PRICE
There are other copies of “Beggar Boys Playing Dice” available for sale on the Internet. One is from the 19th century that is priced at $7,500. In addition, a copy of the painting after Murillo sold at Christies in London in 2009 for $4,576. If our painting was painted by one of Murillo's students during his life, it would be very valuable.
CONDITION
The painting is in good condition with a 2" tear in the right top quadrant. The tear has been repaired and is on background, not on the actual picture. Also the bottom lest corner is rough but not very noricable as it is in the black paint. The canvas is stretched and affixed to a antiquated wood frame. The construction of the frame would probably help to age the painting but I do not have that knowledge. The back of the painting has a red stencil at the center. It appears to be the stencil from the museum where the painting was hanging but I cannot read it. The painting appears to be from the 1600's or the 1700's at the latest.
"Note - This is not the original Murillo painting (It would be worth millions), but a fine copy after Murillo that was executed possibly during the life of Murillo and possibly in his painting academy by a student".
