6 Ton Painting Sold

A towering 6-ton painting depicting the Battle of Gettysburg was sold recently in North Carolina after decades in storage, and it could resell quickly for more than $10 million, an art dealer said. The 376-foot-long cyclorama depicting the bloodiest battle of the Civil War is meant to be displayed in a round room to give viewers the feeling they are there. "When I saw it, I just about died. I was almost enraptured into it," said a Winston-Salem fine arts dealer. "Everyone who has seen it has said the same thing, that you're dragged into the painting. And that's while it's lying on the ground." Winston-Salem artist Joe King knew of the cyclorama's existence and spent 30 years searching for it. He found it in 1965 behind the wall of a burned-out Chicago warehouse. King was unable to find a home for the massive painting and willed it to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem when he died in 1996. Laster said the painting was recently sold to three businessmen from North Carolina. He declined to name them or disclose how much they paid. Laster, who acted as the buyers' broker, said he expected the cyclorama to resell in the eight-figure range - meaning $10 million or more. (For full source and article click the Headline). Irish Art