The Louvre Museum finally acquired a Cimabue painting thought to be lost, which was sold in an earlier auction for $26 Million. The painting was found in an elderly French woman's kitchen who was planning to throw out the masterpiece.
According to The Guardian, the family of the work's previous owner had then thought to send the painting to be appraised. Upon inspection, the expert estimated the piece to be worth around €400,000 which prompted it to be sent to another art specialist in Paris who authenticated the piece as a genuine Cimabue.
Back in 2019, the Louvre made an attempt to acquire the painting in an auction where it was previously estimated to cost around €4 Million to €6 Million. Unfortunately for the museum, it lost out on the bid when the hammer concluded the sale on a total of €24 Million or $26 Million.
In order to prevent the painting from leaving France, the country's culture ministry declared the piece a "national treasure" and temporarily banned its export which gave the Louvre around 30 months to raise the funds needed to buy it.
Facts About Cimabue's 'Christ Mocked' Painting
Entitled "Christ Mocked" and dated around 1280, the piece joins the Louvre as its oldest painting and is planned to headline an art exhibition planned for 2025. The work, measured just over 10 inches, depicts the mocking and flagellation of Jesus right before his crucifixion. Cimabue painted the piece over a gold-leaf backdrop on a poplar wood panel.
This particular Cimabue piece was thought to be one out of eight lost panels of a bigger masterpiece, five panels of which are still yet to be found. Only two other panels of the Cimabue series have been found: "The Flagellation of Christ," currently in the possession of the Frick Collection in New York; and "The Virgin and Child with Two Angels" which is held at the National Gallery in London.
In regard to its final price, the Louvre has not given any details nor did they give any information on how the funds were raised to buy the "Christ Mocked" painting, only that it needed "exceptional mobilization" of its patrons who was then offered tax exemptions for their efforts.
The original owner of the painting, who was in her 90s at the time, passed away two days after the auction.
