I’m afraid we don’t know this story, though you might try contacting Cleveland directly. Might you be referring to Rubens’s “The Triumph of the Church”? It is in the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, and believed to be by a follower of Rubens. Like many successful artists, Rubens maintained a robust workshop, and many works in which he had a hand may have been made by pupils.

There are several reasons why this painting (or indeed any artwork at any museum) might not be on view during a given visit. Museums routinely lend one another artworks, which requires them to be temporarily away from their normal homes. Sometimes works are temporarily removed from a gallery to be photographed, or studied and conserved, or even moved to a new gallery or exhibition within the same museum. And indeed, sometimes museums deaccession works (sell or donate them). There are many reasons for this; perhaps a work lies outside a museum’s core collecting area, or is judged to be of secondary importance. As you note, attributions change over time. What is once thought to be a Raphael is revealed, upon further study, to be by a follower or student (and vice versa, of course). Scholarship changes.

As a side note, due to the large scope of many collections, museum front-line staff may not know individual objects in sufficient depth to answer questions about their whereabouts.

You can do more of your own sleuthing by searching Cleveland’s collection online here. Good luck finding the answer to your mystery!

-Annelisa/Iris editor

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