Possible Caravaggio Is Withdrawn From Auction; Spain Announces Export Ban
The suggested starting bid for the painting was set at around $1,800, but if it is really the work of the Baroque master, it could be worth millions.
The painting was cataloged as from the “circle” of the 17th-century Spanish painter José de Ribera, but some dealers and scholars believe it is a Caravaggio.Credit.via Marco Voena
By Scott Reyburn
April 8, 2021
They call it a “sleeper”: With a starting price of just $1,800, a potentially undervalued old master painting was pulled from auction and is now thought to be worth millions.
Racing from Rome to Madrid in search of a lost Renaissance masterpiece by Caravaggio
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Last Updated: Apr 10, 2021, 05:25 PM IST
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Synopsis
The painting was due to go under the hammer with a starting price of just 1,500 euros.
Entitled Coronation with Thorns , the dark and atmospheric canvas shows a bloodied Jesus just before his crucifixion with the work attributed to the entourage of (Spanish artist) Jose de Ribera . (Image: Ansorena.com | The Crowning with Thorns)
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MADRID: The moment she saw it, Maria Cristina Terzaghi was convinced: the 17th-century canvas was definitely a Caravaggio, so she raced from Rome to Madrid to help authenticate the lost Renaissance masterpiece.
From Rome to Madrid in search of a Caravaggio
A portrait of the Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Image: Ottavio Leoni.
by Mathieu Gorse
(AFP)
.- The moment she saw it, Maria Cristina Terzaghi was convinced: the 17th-century canvas was definitely a Caravaggio, so she raced from Rome to Madrid to help authenticate the lost Renaissance masterpiece.
The painting had been due to go under the hammer on Thursday with a starting price of just 1,500 euros until it was abruptly withdrawn from auction by Spain s government on suspicion it was actually painted by Caravaggio.
Sitting in a cafe in the Spanish capital, this Italian art history specialist told AFP what caused her to jump on a plane from Rome to Madrid for what she s dubbed Operation Caravaggio .
Spain blocks sale of possible Caravaggio painting of Jesus timesofisrael.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofisrael.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.