Discovery of a Caravaggio Artwork Worth $137 Million in an Attic

On Tuesday, April 24, French experts confirmed after extensive research that a painting accidentally found two years ago in the attic of a house in southern France is one of the works of the famous Italian painter Caravaggio, describing it as an important event in art history. According to Reuters, the painting was discovered two years ago when the homeowners in the vicinity of Toulouse were searching for the source of a leak from their ceiling. The painting depicts the beheading of an Assyrian general by Judith, one of the heroes of biblical mythology. The art appraisal institute Eric Turquin stated that the value of this painting could be around $137 million. It is estimated that this painting was created between 1604 and 1605 in Rome by Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, and according to Eric Turquin's institute, despite being forgotten in the attic for over 150 years, it is in very good condition. Eric Turquin said, 'Painters, like all of us, have their specific ticks, and Caravaggio's ticks can be seen in this painting. There are enough ticks in this painting to say it bears the marks of Caravaggio's hand.' The owners of the painting were unaware of its existence until they went into the attic to investigate the water leak from the ceiling. Eric Turquin added, 'They had to break into a part of the attic that had never been opened. When they broke the door, they found the painting right behind it.' The French government has prohibited the export of this painting from the country, describing it in a decree as 'a valuable painting that could be one of Caravaggio's lost works.' AFP also reports that some French experts believe this painting is indeed by Caravaggio, and its market value may exceed $130 million, although there are still doubts about the painting's authenticity. Nicola Spinosa, a renowned expert on Caravaggio's works and former director of the Naples Museum, has confirmed the authenticity of this painting. In his expert assessment, he wrote, 'Although we have no reliable evidence, we can assert with certainty that this painting is by Caravaggio.' Eric Turquin told reporters that Caravaggio may have painted this work in Naples during a period when he fled Rome after being accused of murder. He had previously painted another version of this painting in Rome, which is now housed in the National Gallery of Ancient Art in Rome. After three weeks of investigation by Louvre experts in Paris, the French government concluded that this painting may indeed be a work of Caravaggio, which is why it has prohibited its export from the country. An art dealer who saw the painting after its discovery in the attic said it has been slightly damaged due to the ceiling leak. According to him, this painting has been in the possession of this family since at least the mid-19th century, and it is likely that one of the family's ancestors, who served in Spain during the Napoleonic era, brought it back to France. A French art newspaper quoted Mina Gregory, another expert on Caravaggio's works, stating that despite its excellent artistic quality, 'this painting is not by Caravaggio.' If the authenticity of this painting (measuring 145 by 175 centimeters) is confirmed, it would be the most significant discovery of lost Caravaggio works since the early 1990s, when another painting by this Italian Renaissance artist was discovered in Dublin.