‘National treasure!’ Old painting hanging in pensioner’s kitchen bound for skip sells for £21million
Cimabue’s Christ Mocked painting will hang in the Louvre following its sale
REUTERS
An old painting which was described as a “national treasure” sold for £21million after hanging in a pensioner’s kitchen.
An elderly woman, from Compiegne, was about the lob the painting in a skip.
However, a chance sighting by an auctioneer during a house clearance changed the situation.
He suggested taking it to be valued where experts discovered it was a lost masterpiece.
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It was revealed that one of only a dozen or so known paintings by the artist still exist.
The painting sold for at auction for four times over its estimate at £21million.
The figure is a world record for a pre-1500 work, The Sun has claimed.
Before its appearance at auction, the elderly owner believed it was just a Greek religious icon.
The Louvre museum in Paris is one of the biggest museums in the world and houses works of art such as the Mona Lisa
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The painting measures at just 10 inches by four inches and dates back to 1280.
Despite its multi-million-pound sale, the French Government stepped in to block its export, awarding the painting the status of "national treasure".
This move kept the artwork on hold while Paris attempted to raise the funds to buy it on behalf of the nation.
The French Culture Minister and President of the Louvre announced the painting forms part of the museum’s collection.
The Louvre art gallery and glass pyramid, Paris
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The Ministry failed to provide any details in regards to how the money was raised.
However, spokesperson Rima Abdul Malak went on to call the painting “a crucial milestone in art history, marking the fascinating transition from icon to painting.
She said: "These acquisitions are the result of an exceptional mobilization of the Louvre Museum which allows to preserve in France works coveted by the greatest museums of the world and to make them accessible to all.”
The Ministry added the painting “is a national treasure of major importance."
It is due to join Cimabue's much larger painting “Maestà” in the Louvre collection.