Saint Praxedis

The oil painting "Saint Praxedis" has elicited considerable debate over the years regarding its true creator. It is often attributed to the renowned Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, although this has not always been a unanimous conclusion. In 2014, Christie's auction house carried out a series of new investigations and confidently declared the painting to be an authentic Vermeer. This piece is actually a copy of an earlier work by Felice Ficherelli and features Saint Praxedis, an early Roman martyr. If this attribution is correct, "Saint Praxedis" could be Vermeer's oldest surviving painting, dating back to 1655.

The artwork depicts Saint Praxedis squeezing a martyr's blood from a sponge into a vessel, echoing a similar scene in Ficherelli's painting from between 1640 and 1645. Notably, it is one of only four Vermeer paintings that bears a date. The others include "The Procuress" (1656), "The Astronomer" (1668), and "The Geographer" (1669).

The history of the painting prior to the mid-20th century remains somewhat of an enigma. It first gained attention as a potential Vermeer in 1969 and was later acquired by the Barbara Piasecka Johnson Collection Foundation. In 2014, it was sold at a Christie's auction for a staggering £6,242,500. Despite this, some still question its attribution, sparking discussions about the signatures and the materials used in the painting.

Arthur Wheelock, a prominent Vermeer scholar, staunchly supports the attribution to Vermeer, citing stylistic similarities and technical examinations. There is also some debate over whether the painting is a direct copy of Ficherelli's work or if Vermeer was experimenting with his technique at the time. Regardless, "Saint Praxedis" continues to captivate art historians and collectors, adding another layer of intrigue to Vermeer's already fascinating body of work.