An ancient Roman bust from the first century BC has finally surfaced after being lost for many years. And in a rather strange way.
The bust found its place in the San Antonio Art Museum after an art collector, Laura Young, found it. How strange is this, you might think. The strange thing about this story is that Young bought such a valuable piece for a ridiculous $35.
purchased historical art for $34.99
According to the San Antonio Museum of Art, art collector Laura Young purchased a piece of historical art in 2018 at a Goodwill store in Austin, Texas. While shopping at his store, he came across a statue on the floor, under a table. Young, a collector looking for undervalued or rare works of art, told The Art Newspaper that he bought the bust for just $34.99.
After purchasing the bust, Young realized that the work was rather old and worn. Wanting to find out when and where the bust came from, Young consulted art history experts at the University of Texas at Austin and auction houses in the US for several years. It was Jörg Deterling, a consultant to the fine arts broker Sotheby’s, who eventually came to Young’s aid. Deterling determined that the bust was a piece found in a German museum decades ago and mediated Young’s access to German authorities.
As a result of all these efforts, it turned out that the statue belongs to the end of the 1st century BC. While the San Antonio Museum of Art believes that the bust depicts the son of Pompey the Great who was defeated by Julius Caesar in the civil war; The Art Newspaper stated that the bust depicts the Roman commander Drusus Germanicus.
On the other hand, it was stated that the bust belonged to King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who lived from 1786 to 1868, and was part of a model house named Pompejanum, which was inspired by Pompeii. The model in question managed to survive for approximately 200 years; but II. It was severely damaged by bombers during World War II.
“Looks great at home”
No one knows exactly how the bust escaped near extinction and ended up in Austin Goodwill; however, according to the museum, it seems likely that the bust was taken home by a Texas soldier stationed at bases set up by the US Army in Aschaffenburg and used until the Cold War.
museum director, Emily Ballew Neff, said: “This covers the WWII era, international diplomacy, ancient Mediterranean art, second-hand shop detective work, historic Bavarian royalty, and those who value the arts, whether individually or institutionally, and
On the other hand, Young states that he was excited to discover the origin of the bust but was a bit sad because he could not keep it or sell it. I am happy to be a small part of its long and complex history, and it looked great at home when I had it.”
As part of an agreement with the Bavarian State Administration of Palaces, Gardens and Lakes, the bust of Rome will remain in St. It is stated that it will be exhibited at the Antonio Art Museum, after which the bust will finally return to Germany.
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