Paris (AFP)

It is a small extremely rare painted panel announcing the Italian Renaissance and has become the most expensive primitive painting sold in the world: France on Monday prohibited the export of "mocked Christ" by Cimabue and intends to keep it in its national collections.

The egg painting and gold background on a poplar panel, 25.8 cm by 20.3 cm, was hung between the living room and the kitchen of an old lady in Compiègne (Oise) and had been appraised at during a move.

The family had always thought it was a simple icon, of which the old lady could not say where it came from, but expertise revealed that it was a very rare work by Ceno Di Pepo, known as Cimabue (died 1302), one of the greatest figures of the Pre-Renaissance. We know at most eleven works executed on wood, none of which is signed.

"The mocked Christ" is said to be part of a diptych from 1280 in which scenes of the Passion were represented on eight panels of similar size. Only two of the scenes were known to date: "The Flagellation of Christ" (Frick Collection, New York) and "The Virgin and Child enthroned and surrounded by two angels" (National Gallery, London).

The event sale took place in Senlis, at the end of October, the first time in decades that a Cimabue had passed under the hammer. And the painting, estimated between 4 and 6 million euros, has soared to more than 24 million euros, including costs, becoming the most expensive primitive painting sold in public sale in the world.

- 30 months for an offer -

It was the Alana private collection, belonging to a couple of Chilean collectors based in the United States and specialized in Italian Renaissance art (and part of which is currently on display at the Jacquemart André museum in Paris), which had it finally swept away, in front of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, the last sub-bidder.

But on Monday, the French Ministry of Culture announced that it had refused the export certificate for the work "following the opinion of the Advisory Committee on National Treasures".

From the notification of this decision to the buyer, the State has a period of 30 months to make an offer to buy.

"Thanks to the time given by this measure, all efforts can be mobilized so that this exceptional work can enrich the national collections," said Minister Franck Riester, quoted in a press release.

"I am not surprised, the State defends the enrichment of the inheritance", declared to AFP Dominique Le Coënt, auctioneer who had led the sale. While stressing that "the only thing that matters to me is that this measure is actually exercised and that the State has the means to buy it".

Because in addition to the fact that this decision potentially blocks the work for a long period, it doubles as a rebound, underlines Me Le Coënt: the woman who sold it died shortly after the sale, and her heirs must now s '' pay some 9 million euros in inheritance tax.

If the State does not manage to make an offer within the deadlines which "takes account of the prices practiced on the international market", as foreseen by the heritage code, possibilities of conciliation are foreseen.

© 2019 AFP