Congratulations to Distinguished Professor of Art History Wayne Franits for his integral role in identifying and assisting in the rediscovery of the painting, “Roman Charity,” by 17th-century Dutch artist Hendrick ter Brugghen. Franits was one of the first people in more than three centuries to see the painting that was presumed to have been lost to the ages.
Known for his expertise of Dutch painters, professor Franits is a prolific author of books and articles about such Dutch masters as Vermeer and Rembrandt, as well as other studies of Dutch art of the 17th century. However, it was The Paintings of Hendrick ter Brugghen 1588-1629: Catalogue Raisonné, coauthored with his late professor and advisor Leonard J. Slatkes in 2007, that led an art dealer to contact him when “Roman Charity” first resurfaced. Franits was invited by the dealer to see the painting himself at a warehouse in London and confirmed that this was indeed the lost “Roman Charity” by ter Brugghen.
Read the Syracuse University News article about the rediscovery of “Roman Charity” HERE: