Imagine you are cleaning your house and end up finding an old art frame. What are the chances that the junk you find in your storage room will end up being worth millions of dollars? Well, for one of those homeowners, this imaginary scenario came true.
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- Who was the lucky owner?
- What happened after the painting was discovered?
- Why did the French government intervene?
Who was the lucky owner?
unpack
In 2019, during a regular house cleaning, The times documented the discovery of the painting. Unaware of its value, the owner, a woman in her nineties, had been considering the painting as a simple Russian icon, intending to discard it as worthless before its true value was revealed.
Initially dismissed as having no significant value, the painting eventually fetched a staggering $25 million at auction.
What happened after the painting was discovered?
Wikimedia Commons
Unearthed in a French provincial kitchen during a house cleaning and marked for disposal, Florentine master Cimabue’s “Christ Mocked” has been recognized as a national treasure. His next destination is the esteemed Louvre Museum in Paris, where he will reside and be admired by visitors from around the world.
Why did the French government intervene?
unpack
Álvaro Saieh Bendeck, a prominent Chilean economist, and his wife, Ana Guzmán Ahnfelt, an architect, acquired the work of art for their private collection. However, their plans hit a roadblock when the French government refused the painting’s export license, posing a challenge to its ownership.
Recognizing its immense cultural value, the French government designated the masterpiece as a national treasure, giving the Louvre Museum 30 months to raise the funds necessary for its acquisition. Recently, an agreement was reached between the museum and the painting’s owners, securing its permanent position within the Louvre’s esteemed collection.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn