LONDON.- A previously unknown portrait by the Spanish artist Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660) will be the highlight of the Old Master Paintings auction on Wednesday 7th December 2011 at Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London. The work is a Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, in a black tunic and white golilla collar and measures 47 x 39cm. It is estimated to sell for £2,000,000-3,000,000. Andrew Mckenzie, Director of Old Master Paintings at Bonhams, comments, “This is an extraordinarily beautiful portrait which after extensive research we believe to be by the hand of Velázquez. We expect there to be great interest from around the globe as works by this master so rarely come to auction.” In August 2010 a number of works by the nineteenth century British artist, Matthew Shepperson, were consigned for sale at Bonhams Oxford office. Among these works was a portrait of