A painting by Italian master Sandro Botticelli, estimated to be worth over $100 Million, was finally recovered from a household outside Naples in Italy, as reported in The Guardian. The piece was initially hung in a small church in the Italian town of Santa Maria la Carità before being passed to a family in the same locality, who kept it in their private property for decades.
Due to unknown reasons, the painting, one of the last known pieces made by the Renaissance master, mysteriously disappeared. The Italian state scoured the area for the artwork but the effort yielded no find, leaving the authorities to consider the Botticelli piece as lost for a while.
Circa 1500, Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli (1445 - 1510).
How the Botticelli Masterpiece was Found
In a statement made last Wednesday, Nov. 29, Massimiliano Croce, a member of the Naples carabinieri tasked to protect local cultural heritage, said: "The last time the authorities had inspected the private residence where the Botticelli painting was kept [was] over 50 years ago."
Since that last attempt, the artwork was "forgotten by the authorities," and only due to recent research did the local carabinieri realize that the Botticelli was already "located in a private home for over 50 years," prompting another inspection.
The Botticelli piece was found in substandard condition, wherein it suffered erosion and chromatic deterioration brought by the oxidation of the varnishes. Due to this, it will undergo extensive restorative efforts in hopes that it can finally be displayed to the public.
According to Croce, the painting was passed down from each generation among individuals of the family, but the officials are still unsure whether or not it was acquired "properly." He continued by saying that if the family did not legitimately obtain the painting, the ownership would transfer to the Italian state.
"Otherwise, it could remain the property of the family but exhibited in a museum to ensure greater security," Croce added, explaining that even though the painting itself is listed under the Italian state's works of public interest, it can still be owned provided that the owner can guarantee the artwork's safety and preservation.
How Botticelli's Most Cherished Work Ended Up in the Church
In an interview with La Repubblica, art historian Peppe Di Massa said that Botticelli was especially fond of the painting due to the resemblance of the Madonna it depicts with his muse, and rumored love interest, Simonetta Cattaneo who ended up passing away at the age of 23.
The artwork was the subject of a book detailing Botticelli's lifework, authored by English writer Ronald W. Lightbrown. This book explains that the artist donated this particular work to Pope Sixtus IV who eventually handed it to the small church in Santa Maria la Carità, Naples.
Massa shared that the reason the pope gave it away was to accumulate social favor and economic support from the Medici family, who at the time owned a couple of properties in Southern Italy. The pope then used the financial resources he received from the powerful family to fund the construction of the Sistine Chapel at a time when everybody was experiencing financial troubles.
"Many of us fought for this painting to be returned to the community when its traces were lost. They said it had ended up in a safety deposit box. Now we hope it can find its rightful place in a museum," Massa added.
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