A small painting After experts suggested that this might be an Italian master’s work, he avoided selling it at a Spanish auction for 1,500 euros earlier this year Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio It has been granted protection status as a cultural value project.
This Painting of the Flagellated ChristThe painting, measuring 111 cm x 86 cm, ceased sales in April after someone suspected that it was mistakenly attributed to the circle of the 17th-century Spanish artist Jose de Ribera.
Experts at the Prado Museum in Madrid, who raised the alarm, believe that there is “sufficient style and documentary evidence” that it may be Caravaggio’s original work, which means that it may be worth as much as 50 million euros (42 million pounds).
On Wednesday, six months after the Spanish Ministry of Culture imposed a preventive export ban on the painting, the government of the Autonomous Community of Madrid officially declared the painting as Cultural interest, Or items of cultural significance.
It described the painting as “an example of the excellence and mastery of Italian naturalism”, which had a great influence on the Madrid School of Painting in the 17th century.
“The psychological description of the characters, the realism of the face, the light power that illuminates the body of Christ, the interaction of the three characters, and the communication it establishes with the audience make this work of great artistic value,” the regional government wrote in a copy The statement said.
It said that no matter who the painter is, this work deserves protection, but the evidence points to this Italian genius.
The statement said: “The information that has emerged in the past few months, coupled with the research carried out by experts, has strengthened the theory that this is Caravaggio’s work.”
The protected status of this painting means that its owner, the three children of Antonio Perez de Castro, the founder of the Madrid IADE Design School, and the artist Mercedes Mendes Attard -If you decide to sell it, you must notify the authorities so that the regional government can make a decision. If it wants to bid.
