Crowning with Thorns, Mockery of Jesus, via Wikipedia.
A Cimabue painting, originally discovered above a kitchen stove in France and subsequently sold at auction for €24 million (equivalent to $26 million today), has finally found its way to the Louvre Museum in Paris after a three-year delay due to a rival bidder.
As reported by The Guardian, the artwork, titled "Christ Mocked" and believed to have been created around 1280 by the Florentine artist, now stands as one of the Louvre's most ancient paintings. Experts speculate that it is one of eight missing panels from a renowned multipart artwork, with five segments still unaccounted for. According to the museum, "Christ Mocked" will take center stage in an exhibition scheduled for 2025.
The painting's original owner, an elderly woman in France, had originally intended to discard it as trash. However, on a fortunate whim, she decided to have her property appraised by an expert. The expert's initial estimate valued the painting at up to €400,000. Subsequently, the artwork was sent to an art specialist in Paris for a second examination, where it was authenticated as a genuine Cimabue.
In 2019, the Louvre Museum made an attempt to acquire the painting when it was put up for sale at the Actéon auction house in Senlis, located outside Paris. Unfortunately, the museum lost the bidding war, with the painting ultimately selling for a total of €24 million, including fees. This sale marked it as the most expensive medieval-era painting ever sold at auction and one of the top eight highest-priced sales for any work by any Old Master, placing Cimabue in esteemed company alongside renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael.
Dominique Le Coent, the head of Actéon, commented at the time, "When a unique work by a rare painter like Cimabue comes onto the market, you have to be prepared for surprises. This is the only Cimabue painting that has ever been offered for sale."
In an effort to retain ownership of the painting within France, the country's Ministry of Culture designated it as a national treasure and imposed a temporary export ban, granting the Louvre a 30-month window to secure the necessary funds for its acquisition.
The artwork, measuring slightly over 10 inches, portrays the flagellation of Christ before his crucifixion and was created by Cimabue on a poplar wood panel with a gold-leaf background. The other two panels from the same series have been identified in the collections of the Frick Collection in New York and the National Gallery in London.
The Louvre has not disclosed the specific amount of money raised for the acquisition or the methods used to secure the funds. However, it noted that the effort required an "exceptional mobilization" of its patrons, who received tax exemptions for their support.
Tragically, the original owner, who was in her 90s, passed away just two days after the auction.
Selena Mattei