PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Jan Vermeer's "Young Woman Seated at the Virginal," sold in July for $30 million is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, its ownership still a mystery.
Its virtually unpublicized display, which will continue until March 30, deepens the mystery of who purchased the painting at Sotheby's auction house in London. The painting has had a life of enigma for years because of controversy over its authenticity.
Queries made to the museum by UPI and other news media as to whom loaned the artwork for exhibition have received the same refusal to name the new owner or to say whether the painting can be expected to become a part of the museum collection eventually. It is the only Vermeer still in private hands.
At the time of the painting's sale, it was assumed that it was purchased by Steve Wynn, the American casino magnate, for display at his new hotel-casino complex in Las Vegas. But Wynn is a publicity-loving high profile collector and has never made claim to being the purchaser. His collection is currently on exhibit at the Nevada Museum of Art.
With Wynn virtually discounted as the owner, there is speculation that a local collector with close ties to the Philadelphia Museum may be the owner or that a dealer was the purchaser and has loaned it to the museum to give it further exposure and museum validation.
It was previously owned by a Belgian dealer, Baron Frederic Rolin, whose estate authenticated it to the satisfaction of most of the art world.
