A Botticelli masterpiece worth 100 million euros, lost 50 years ago, was found in Naples
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The painting “Madonna and Child” by the Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli was found in a family home near Naples. Its value is estimated at 100 million euros.
The canvas was considered lost for 50 years, The Guardian reports.
The painting, which dates back to the 15th century, was one of Botticelli’s favorite works.
The artist historian Peppe Di Massa notes that the image of the Madonna was copied from Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci, a beloved artist who died at the age of 23. This is one of Botticelli’s last works.
| The canvas was considered lost for 50 years |
Initially, the painting was kept in a church in the town of Santa Maria la Carita, later the work of art was entrusted to a local family, who kept it in a private residence for many generations.
According to the publication, the state last checked the private residence where Botticelli’s painting was stored more than 50 years ago. For unknown reasons, information about this work of art has disappeared from the archives of Italian state art.
As it turned out, the picture is in poor condition, with numerous scuffs and changes caused by oxidation of varnishes.
Now the canvas is being restored in the hope that the public will finally be able to see it.
Cultural heritage officials are investigating whether the painting really belongs to the family that kept it for more than a century.
“If we are convinced that this family had no right to keep the painting, then it will become the property of the state. Otherwise, the painting may remain the property of the family, but it will be exhibited in a museum“, says Massimiliano Croce, representative of the Carabinieri command for the protection of the cultural heritage of Naples.
According to the publication, the artist presented the painting to Pope Sixtus IV, who then gave it to a small village church in the municipality of Santa Maria la Carita in Naples.
“The Pope donated the painting to a small village church as a tribute to gain financial support from the powerful Medici family to finance the completion of the Sistine Chapel. Now we hope that she can find her rightful place in the museum“, Pepe Di Massa emphasized.
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