You Won’t Believe Where This “Lost” Botticelli Painting Was Found

A long-lost painting by Sandro Botticelli, depicting the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, was found in a family home in Gragnano, Italy, south of Naples. The masterpiece, missing for nearly 50 years, is valued at over $109 million.

But how was the Botticelli painting even found? Where did they find it?

“Missing” Botticelli Painting Was Found

The recently discovered painting is believed to be one of Sandro Botticelli’s final works before his death in 1510.

Botticelli, renowned for masterpieces like “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera,” left this previously unknown artwork. Massimiliano Croce, commander of the Italian Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit, highlighted that the painting, now recovered, will be publicly exhibited again with state intervention.

Experts think that the 23-by-31-inch artwork, depicting the Virgin Mary with Jesus on her lap, was commissioned for the Roman Catholic Church around 1470. It later hung in a church in Santa Maria la Carità near Naples in the early 1900s after the original church it was intended for had caught fire.

The second church was damaged in a 1982 earthquake. Afterward, the parish entrusted the painting to a local Somma family, who kept the masterpiece in their private home for safekeeping.

How Was the Botticelli Painting Lost?

Initially, local authorities regularly inspected the painting’s condition and provided guidance to the Somma family on cleaning and maintenance.

Authorities ceased inspections in the 1990s for unknown reasons, and the painting was subsequently listed as missing. However, this past summer, the artwork was traced back to the Somma family. They had kept it displayed in their homes all along.

Massimiliano Croce stated that the authorities had last inspected the private residence housing the Botticelli painting over 50 years ago. Since then, inexplicably, the painting has been forgotten by the authorities.

Who Does the Painting Belong to Now?

The Italian Ministry of Culture confirmed that an official decree entrusted the Botticelli painting to the family, absolving them from any criminal investigation. Massimiliano Croce added that while the family retains ownership, the artwork will be preserved in a museum.

What Is the Painting About?

Experts believe the painting by Botticelli is highly cherished. This is because it is thought to depict the Virgin Mary inspired by Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci. The latter was the artist’s muse and rumored lover, who passed away at the age of 23.

Art historian Peppe Di Massa explained to La Repubblica that the painting was donated by the pope to a rural church. He did so to garner financial support from the Medici family for completing the Sistine Chapel during a financially challenging period. He expressed the community’s long-standing effort to reclaim the painting when it went missing. They hoped it would now be housed in a museum where it belongs.

The tempera on wood painting, which requires extensive restoration due to scratches, missing paint, and oxidation-induced changes, is projected to undergo a year-long restoration process. Once restored, it will be showcased to the public in a national museum in Naples.

Have you ever seen this Botticelli painting before?

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