Botticelli’s masterpiece, forgotten for half a century, worth 100 million euros, was found in the family home

A Botticelli painting worth 100 million euros, forgotten for 50 years, was found in a private house in Naples. A restoration of the Renaissance master’s work, which was last seen half a century ago, is planned.

A Sandro Botticelli painting said to have been forgotten for more than 50 years after disappearing from Italy’s state art archive has been found in the family home near Naples.

The work of art, dating back to the 15th century and believed to be worth around 100 million euros, was originally kept in a church in the town of Santa Maria la Carita before being given to a local family, who kept it in a private residence for several generations, writes

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/nov/29/madonna-and-child-painting-botticelli-recovered-50-years-naples-italy

The Guardian.

For reasons that remain unclear, the painting, one of the last works of the Italian Renaissance master best known for The Birth of Venus and Primavera, then disappeared from the state’s radar to such an extent that many thought it had been lost altogether.

Massimiliano Croce, from the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Naples, said on Wednesday: “The last time authorities inspected the private residence where the Botticelli painting was kept was more than 50 years ago. Since then, for inexplicable reasons, the authorities have forgotten about this picture. When, after examining these works to be verified, we realized that the Botticelli painting had been in a private home for more than 50 years, we decided to examine it.”

The painting was found to be in poor condition, with numerous abrasions and color changes caused by oxidation of the varnishes. Now the painting will undergo extensive restoration work in the hope that the public will finally be able to see it, notes The Guardian.

Now the carabinieri are investigating whether the painting really belongs to the family that has kept it for more than a century.

“The work of art was passed down from generation to generation among members of this family,” Croce said. “But we are assessing whether they acquired it properly… If we confirm that the family that owned it did not have the right to keep it, then it will pass into the hands of the state.” Otherwise, the painting could remain the property of the family, but be displayed in a museum for greater security.”

According to Croce, a painting of this kind, despite being included in the list of works of public interest, can belong to a private person as long as that person is able to guarantee its safety, preservation and care.

From time to time, the Office of Cultural Heritage carries out inspections to ensure that such paintings and statues are being adequately cared for.

Art historian Peppe Di Massa says the painting was one of Botticelli’s favorite works because the Madonna depicted in it was inspired by Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci, the artist’s muse and lover, who died at the age of 23.

The painting, mentioned in a book on the life of Botticelli by the English writer Ronald W. Lightbown, was given by the artist to Pope Sixtus IV, who then gave it to the small rural church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in the municipality of Santa Maria la Carita in Naples.

The Pope, who was short of money at the time, gave it to the church to curry favor with the Medici family, who had purchased property in the Naples countryside to grow vineyards.

“The pope donated it to a small rural church as a tribute to gain economic support from the powerful Medici family to finance the completion of the Sistine Chapel at a time when the pope was experiencing financial difficulties,” Di Massa tells La Repubblica. “Many of us fought to have this painting returned to society when all traces of it were lost.” They said it ended up in a safe deposit box. We now hope that it can find its rightful place in the museum.”

In 2021, a small Botticelli painting dating from around 1475 depicting a nobleman holding a circular image of a saint was sold at Sotheby’s New York for $92.2 million, an auction record for the Renaissance master.