A painting by renowned artist Sandro Botticelli – believed to have been lost for almost 50 years – has been found.
The masterpiece depicting the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus was found in a family home in the Italian town of Gragnano, south of Naples, according to CNN.
The artwork is estimated to be worth at least $109 million.
It is believed to be one of the last paintings by the artist, who died in 1510 and is best known for “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera.”
“This is a work completely unknown to the public, which will now be exhibited again, thanks to the intervention of the State,” said Massimiliano Croce, commander of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of the Italian Carabinieri.
Experts believe the 23-by-31-inch artwork – which depicts the Virgin Mary covering her hair with a veil as Jesus sits on her lap – was commissioned for the Roman Catholic Church in 1470. It hangs in a church in a Neapolitan suburb. Santa Maria la Carità in the early 1900s after the church was originally given to burning.
The second church was damaged in the 1982 earthquake, prompting the parish to hand over the painting to the local Somma family to keep the masterpiece in their private home.
For the first few years, local authorities were on hand to inspect its condition and advise families on cleaning and otherwise maintaining it.
A piece painted in tempera on wood needs extensive restoration, as it has been scratched, lost some paint and has undergone changes caused by oxidation. The work is expected to take about a year. Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage
However, for unspecified reasons, authorities stopped coming in the 1990s — and the painting was listed as lost.
This was until last summer when the piece was finally traced back to the Somma family, who continue to display the artwork in their home.
“The last time the authorities checked the private residence where the Botticelli paintings were kept was more than 50 years ago,” Croce said. “Since then, inexplicably, the painting has been forgotten by the authorities.”
‘Inexplicably, the painting has been forgotten by the authorities.’
A spokesperson for Italy’s Ministry of Culture told CNN that there was an official decree on file entrusting the painting to the family, clearing the family of any criminal investigation.
“The family continues to hold title to the work, which, however, will be preserved in the museum,” Croce said.
Experts claim the painting is one of Botticelli’s best-loved works because the singing of the Virgin Mary was allegedly inspired by Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci, the artist’s muse and suspected lover, who died at the age of 23, according to The Guardian.
“The pope donated it to a small country church in honor of obtaining economic support from the powerful Medici family to finance the completion of the Sistine Chapel during a period when the pope was struggling financially,” said Peppe Di Massa, an art historian. La Repubblica.
“Many of us are fighting for this painting to be returned to the community when its effects disappear. They said it ended up in a safety deposit box. Now we hope it can find a suitable place in the museum.”
The piece, painted in tempera on wood, required extensive restoration, as it had been scratched, lost some paint and suffered changes caused by oxidation. The work is expected to take about a year.
It will eventually be exhibited to the public in one of the national museums in Naples.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
