The Dormition of the Virgin

Made for the Convento de Nuestra Señora de Gracia, Seville [1]. William Harris, London dealer; June 16, 1810, Christie’s, London, lot A5 (as by Murillo), sold to Lee. Sold by Cochrane Johnston to William Manning (1763-1835), Hertfordshire; about 1816-1826, purchased by John Biddulph (1768-1845), Ledbury, Herefordshire; by descent to his grandson, Michael Biddulph, 1st Baron Biddulph (1834-1923), Ledbury Park, Herefordshire; May 19, 1916, anonymous (Property of a Nobleman, sold for the Benefit of La Croix Rouge Française) sale, Christie’s, London, lot 105 (as by Murillo), purchased by Nicholson; sold by Kunsthaus Malmedé to Adolfo Marx, Barcelona (also identified as Adolfo Marx Weil, Adolpho Marx; b. Heidelberg, Germany1865- d. Marylebone, London, 1936) [2]. Galveston Fine Arts Associated, S. A., Tortola, British Virgin Islands; April 22, 1993, Christie’s, London, lot 43 (as by Marquez), purchased by Joey and Toby Tanenbaum, Toronto; December 1995, gift of Joey and Toby Tanenbaum to the AGO; in agreement with the heirs of Adolfo Marx, 2024.

NOTES:
[1] The painting was taken from the convent following French invasion in 1810. The convent was closed in 1835.
[2] Gap in provenance from 1934 to 1993

This painting was donated to the AGO in 1995. In 2021, heirs of art collector Adolfo Marx (1865-1936) contacted the gallery to indicated that Marx had owned the painting in Spain during the 1920s and 1930s, and then lost possession sometime after fleeing to England in 1936 amidst rising fascism. After an extensive research process, the AGO reached an agreement with Marx’s heirs that the painting would remain at the gallery.