A few years ago, the director of the Prado museum, Miguel Zugaza, was visiting the collection of paintings of the Medinaceli family, an old aristocratic spanish family. All of a sudden he discovered this painting, the Wine on Saint Martins’ Day.
This painting was located in an obscure gallery, and nobody thought this might be an important oeuvre, while it was very much deteriorated.
As the painting was restored it turned out to be one of the biggest paintings of Pieter Breughel den Ouden, some 2,4 by 1,5 metres. It is thought it is made in the latest years of the painter between 1565 and 1568 and there are some 96 people depicted on the paining clearly showing their emotions as Saint Martin is giving away a part of his cape.
More information about this painting is to be found on the website of the Prado Museum, Madrid