In early June, auctioneer Philomène Wolf visited a house near Compiègne (Oise). The owner of the house, an elderly lady, had asked her to estimate her property and to examine various and varied objects, most of them destined to be thrown away. She did not suspect, then, that she was going to make a major discovery for the art world.
Out of sight, in the kitchen, a small wooden sign attracted the attention of the professional. An unsigned but exquisitely finished painting, representing the passion of Christ.
"The lady explained to me that this painting belonged to her family for a very long time, but that it was only a religious icon," remembers Philomène Wolf for France 24. "She could have ended up in the trash".
The auctioneer sensed that this very lively representation of Jesus surrounded by an angry mob hid a remarkable work. Painted with egg and gold on poplar panel, the painting measures only 24 centimeters by 20. It seems to have been removed from a larger ensemble and bears the mark of artists of the Alps from the end of Middle Ages, the famous Italian primitives.
Listening only to his intuition, Philomène Wolf showed the painting to Éric Turquin, a prominent specialist in old paintings based in Paris. After examining the piece, the expert and his team have established "with certainty" that the artist was none other than Cimabue, the legendary Florentine master whose known works are so rare - and so jealously guarded - that they have never been auctioned in modern times.
A giant in the history of art
"The Mocked Christ", concluded these experts, was part of a dyptic composed of eight panels painted by Cimabue around 1280, and of which only two other pieces have survived the centuries: a "Flagellation of Christ" preserved in the Frick collection, in New York, and a "Madonna with Child" enthroned between two angels, visible at the National Gallery in London.
According to Éric Tuquin, the authenticity of the work is not in doubt, especially because it reflects the innovative style of the master of Giotto, painter of legend.
"There are similarities in the expressions of the faces, the movement, and the shy attempts of perspective which define the trait of Cimabue", adds Stéphane Pinta, a specialist of the cabinet Turquin.
Subsequently, infrared reflectography revealed that the galleries carved by wood worms are identical to those of the other two paintings of Cimabue, proving the authenticity of the panel.
"It is to live this kind of discovery that we get up in the morning," enthuses Stéphane Pinta, hailing "a major discovery" for art historians. "Cimabue is the father of Western art, the one who broke the rules of Byzantine art, introducing rudiments of expression and perspective."
France 24 also contacted some specialists of the work of Cimabue who welcomed the event. "It's a very unusual discovery," says Holly Flora, professor of art history at Tulane University, New Orleans, and author of many books about the Florentine painter. this day that few panels of Cimabue kept and known - less than ten to say everything. That is why this painting is of paramount importance for the knowledge of this artist's work ".
From Florence, the master's hometown, Angelo Tartuferi, of the famous Uffizi Gallery, hailed "one of those extraordinary events that may mark a turning point in our knowledge of the history of early Italian painting". "Cimabue is a giant in the history of Italian art, the greatest painter of the thirteenth century," he added.
"His genius paved the way for Giotto"
His fate was told by Dante, another Florentine passed down to posterity. "Cimabue believed to be the first in the field of painting, but now it is Giotto who has the reputation", he judges in the "Divine Comedy".
It is this vision that History has chosen, explains Holly Flora. "Renaissance writers regarded him as the precursor of this movement, whose genius paved the way for the great Giotto," she explains, adding that Cimabue should "be appreciated for his own inventiveness and not only as a harbinger of Giotto ".
Traditional academic research has focused on the stylistic innovations of the painter, including his abandonment of the rigid traditions of Byzantine art and his ability to breathe life into his characters through movement, perspective and delicately shaded expressions.
Holly Flora emphasizes the major contribution of the artist. "He collaborated with powerful patrons, Franciscans in the first place, to revolutionize the art of devotion at the end of the thirteenth century." "This panel is part of a more modest devotional work, probably aimed at Franciscan clients, and shows Cimabue's contribution to a richer and more moving view of the life of Christ."
France, "granary of the world"
Will academics and the general public soon be able to admire the finesse of this painting? This will depend on the outcome of an auction that will take place on October 27 in Senlis, north of Paris. Éric Turquin and Maison Acteon, the organizers of the event, are betting on a sale exceeding 4 million euros.
Angelo Tartuferi, from the Uffizi Gallery, believes that a work of such importance must be preserved and displayed in a large museum, to remain accessible to all. That the event takes place in France will give the Louvre a head start for the acquisition, during a sale that is likely to attract many buyers, he believes.
"I doubt that our French friends let this opportunity to enrich the fabulous collection of Italian paintings of the Louvre", before joking: "I would have liked that this painting was found in a kitchen of Rome or Pisa".
The Louvre already exhibits one of the most famous works of Cimabue, a sumptuous "Maestà", taken in the church of St. Francis of Pisa during the Napoleonic occupation. But Stéphane Pinta, of the Turquin Cabinet, believes that the "mocked Christ" can also interest rich private collectors, for whom the acquisition of paintings of masters is more and more related to the "Holy Grail".
This is the second time in a few years that a masterpiece of one of the biggest names in Western art accidentally surfaces. In 2014, a painting of "Judith and Holofernes" was found under a mattress in a Toulouse attic. A painting attributed by Éric Turquin to Caravaggio. Estimated at more than 100 million euros, it was finally bought by a foreigner who remained anonymous, although some Italian experts have expressed doubts about its authenticity.
In terms of art, "France is sometimes described as granary of the world," notes Stéphane Pinta. "That's because we've had the chance to welcome many artists and collectors over the centuries," he says, regretting that violent episodes, especially during the French Revolution, have resulted in the loss or dispersion of real treasures.
"Many works have been lost, and that is why firms like ours exist".