Curators Embarrassed Over Misidentification

A painting identified as a previously unknown canvas by Spanish master Francisco de Goya is instead the work of a minor 18th-century painter.

Embarrassed curators of the Prado Museum acknowledged Wednesday that they had misidentified the painting, discovered by workers renovating a government building.

The work was in fact painted by Mariano Salvador Maella in 1781.

The error sparked rumors that museum director Jose Maria Luzon would resign. The museum’s director of Spanish paintings, Trinidad de Antonio, offered her resignation.

Luzon said the museum would not accept de Antonio’s resignation and he would remain director.