After an incredible journey, the Louvre has finally acquired Cimabue’s Christ Mocked, a 13th-century masterpiece. The painting, which measures 10 by 8 inches, was discovered hanging above a hot plate in a French woman’s kitchen. The owner had no idea of its true value and was planning to throw it away during a move. Luckily, an expert appraiser recognized its potential and identified it as a work by Cimabue. The painting is part of a diptych and is one of only 15 known works by the artist. It was eventually sold for €24.2 million and declared a national treasure by the French government. The Louvre will display it alongside Cimabue’s Maestà in an upcoming exhibition.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/forgotten-268-million-cimabue-painting-found-in-an-elderly-womans-home-heads-to-the-louvre-180983280/