Louvre Acquired a Painting For €24 Million That Narrowly Avoided Ending Up in the Trash
The painting "Christ Mocked," dated back to the 13th century, was purchased by the Louvre for 24 million euros (21 million pounds). The previous owner wanted to throw the artwork away.
This was reported by The Guardian.
The painting "Christ Mocked" was created by the renowned Florentine artist Cimabue around 1280. However, researchers believe that this unique work is one of eight panels of a large diptych. Five other parts of this series are considered lost.
It is worth noting that initially, the painting hung for a long time directly above the stove of a French lady. During house cleaning, the owner and her family wanted to get rid of clutter, including an unknown painting. However, before discarding the "trash," the owners decided to consult an expert to see if there was anything valuable among the unwanted items.
Assessed at 400,000 euros, the expert advised sending it to another Parisian art connoisseur, who ultimately confirmed the authorship and authenticity of the work.
Afterward, in 2019, the painting "Christ Mocked" was auctioned with an estimated value of 6 to 4 million euros. It was then that the Louvre first attempted to acquire Cimabue's work. However, the estimated value was raised to a staggering 19.5 million euros, and the total selling price, including commissions, amounted to 24 million euros.
At the same time, the French Ministry of Culture declared the work a "national acquisition," prohibiting the export of "Christ Mocked" abroad. It also gave the Louvre 30 months to raise the necessary funds for the purchase.
In the end, the Louvre bought the painting. Now, the Renaissance masterpiece, along with another work by Cimabue, "Maestà," will be presented at an exhibition in 2025. It is noteworthy that these two paintings are among the oldest in the museum's collection.
The painting "Christ Mocked" itself depicts the mockery of Jesus before his crucifixion. The work is painted on poplar wood, with a background of golden leaves.
Recall that The Gaze previously reported that a painting purchased by an American for four dollars turned out to be a work by the famous illustrator N.C. Wyeth and was sold for 191,000 dollars.