Lost Renaissance Painting Found in French Kitchen and Sold for €24m

A rare masterpiece by a 13th-century, early Italian Renaissance, was found in a French woman’s kitchen one month ago and has been sold for €24m in an auction.
The painting was done by Italian painter Cimabue and was expected to sell for a maximum of £3.4m to €6m.
Cimabue is widely considered the forefather of the Italian Renaissance. He parted from the Byzantine style prominent in the Middle Ages and started to join components of development and viewpoint that came to portray western painting.
An auctioneer, Dominique Le Coent, spotted the painting in June while inspecting the woman’s house in Compiegne in northern France. Believing it was merely an old religious icon, he took the painting to experts for an evaluation said Stephane Pinta, a painting specialist at the Turquin gallery in Paris.
The painting has been sold to an anonymous buyer near Chantilly, north of Paris by the Dominique Le Coent of Acteon Auction House.
The bid ended up setting a new world record for a medieval painting sold at an auction.
“It’s a painting that was unique, splendid and monumental. Cimabue was the father of the Renaissance. But this sale goes beyond all our dreams,” said Mr Le Coent.
“It’s a painting that was unique, splendid and monumental. Cimabue was the father of the Renaissance. But this sale goes beyond all our dreams.”
The artwork’s disclosure has sent waves of fervor throughout the art world.
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