Visual arts | The auction was canceled at the last minute: the value of the Italian master’s painting jumped from 1,500 euros to 36 million

Internationally the prestigious Prado Museum has put on display a new one Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio painted in Madrid, Spain.

To Ecce Homo the named painting depicts a scene from the New Testament in which Pontius Pilate show of Jesus to the crowds.

According to the internationally acclaimed museum, the piece was painted between 1605 and 1609 and is believed to have belonged to the King of Spain Philip IV:n’s private collection. It has also featured his son Charles IIin the apartments of

The saying “Ecce homo” means “Look at the man” and is said to have been used by Pilate during the trial of Jesus.

The value of the work is increased by the fact that the Italian painter has only seventy known works.

Ecce Homo the sale is accompanied by drama, as the Madrid auction house had to sell the painting in April 2021 at a ridiculous price. At the time, the work was considered a Spanish artist Jose de Ribera as a work, and the opening price was set at only 1,500 euros.

Because it probably would have sold as well.

However, the Prado Museum announced that it had found enough evidence to authenticate the painting as a genuine work by Caravaggio. Thus, it managed to stop the sale of the work just a few hours before it was hammered.

Before after ending up on the wall of the museum, the restored work passed the analysis of art experts, where attention is paid to, among other things, the painting style, the paints used, fibers and other materials. Identification was made difficult by the fact that Caravaggio did not usually sign his works.

Otherwise, the investigation was simple, because Caravaccio primed his dark-toned paintings with lead-white, a toxic dye that is banned today. After this, he painted over the lead white layer by layer.

With patient work, he managed to create a strange glow in the high points of the painting. That fine light is considered his trademark today.

The Prado Museum is one of the leading art museums in Europe. Picture: Susana Vera / Reuters

One of experts, professor of art history Maria Cristina Terzaghi tells that he paid particular attention to the “glow of the body” of the Jesus figure and the “three-dimensionality of the three figures”.

Caravaccio used ordinary people as his models, often Roman prostitutes. On top, the models often wore revealing outfits, which caused not only admiration but also criticism.

The authenticity of the work was finally confirmed during this year. The museum announced that top experts have declared the painting to be “undoubtedly Caravaggio’s masterpiece” and called it “one of the greatest discoveries in the history of art”.

Auction after the cancellation, the sale of the painting has been handled by the London art gallery Colnaghi. Later media have said that its new owner is a British citizen living in Spain, who paid 36 million euros for the painting.

It is known that the new owner has promised to lend the work to the museum for an indefinite period.

The Prado Museum you can expect quite a lot of attention from the painting, because Caravaggio appeals to the general public thanks to both his work and his personal history. He painted commissioned works for palaces and private chapels in churches, but he also ran amok in the city alleys with a sword, which is why there are several police records.

After a fatal fight, he was sentenced to death and fled the country, but was later pardoned.

Caravaggio died of fever at the age of 39 while returning to Rome. Later, his grave was opened. In the studies, significant amounts of lead were found in the bones.

Perhaps the same thing that makes his works glow.