• Art The Caravaggio withdrawn from the Madrid auction had an international offer of 20 million euros

The painting withdrawn from auction due to the suspicion that it could be the

Ecce homo by

the painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio has been

declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) in a precautionary manner

and will not be able to leave the Community of Madrid until its authenticity is verified.

They confirm this in the Ministry of Culture of the regional government, which is going to ask the Prado Museum to designate "qualified technical personnel" to participate in its inspection.

Ansorena had to withdraw the work from the bidding process last Thursday in which

a starting price of 1,500 euros

had been set

.

Previously, a Spanish collector had offered a million euros for the lot, but the most spectacular offer was the one proposed by a consortium of Dutch and English antique dealers, willing to disburse 20 million, as EL MUNDO advanced.

The following day, April 9, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of Madrid began the procedure for its

"precautionary and provisional

"

protection

as BIC, in force from that same date.

Now the owner is obliged to "properly conserve" the painting and to request permission "for any intervention they wish to carry out on it."

"Public administrations have the right of first refusal and withdrawal in the event that the owner puts it up for sale", they add in the Ministry of Culture.

Thus, if it is confirmed that it is an authentic Caravaggio,

it could not be bought directly by any collector

.

Calendar

This Monday the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage has asked Ansorena to inform the owner of the work of the beginning of the procedure and to communicate

a date for a visit

to analyze the painting in person.

The forecast is that it will be done in the second half of April.

Meanwhile,

a period of one month

for public

information

is opened

from the publication in the Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid of the BIC declaration of the table, which will take place between Tuesday and Wednesday.

During this period, the City Council of the capital, the Regional Council of Historical Heritage and those interested in the process will be heard so that they can present allegations if they deem it appropriate.

In addition,

a report will

be requested

from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts

, which will have a period of one month to carry out the request.

On the schedule it would have to be ready in May.

From there, the Community of Madrid will analyze all the available documentation and, if applicable, will prepare the resolution of the definitive declaration of Caravaggio's work as BIC.

You have nine months to do so from the publication in the Bocm this week, so at the latest you will have to have made a decision

on January 13 or 14, 2022.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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