Traditionally, many 19th century painters copied famous works by the Old Masters as part of their artistic training.

Extracted from Antiques Trade Gazette | Jonathan Franks

In 1834, however, when Egidius Mengelberg (1770-1849) executed this 2ft 3in x 4ft 7in (69cm x 1.4m) canvas of Leonardo’s Last Supper, he was already a well-established and highly successful painter.

Many of his lucrative commissions were from the up-and-coming industrialists in the city of Wuppertal in the heart of the Rhineland who felt that a portrait by Mengelberg was an essential status symbol.

In later years he also designed wallpaper and devoted himself to the interior design of the villas belonging to the prosperous factory owners in the region.

It is not known who originally commissioned the copy of the ‘Leonardo’ but its most recent owner was a Belgian collector. Nagel in Stuttgart is offering the painting on October 16 with an estimate of €5500.