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Lost Italian Painting Worth Millions Found in Woman’s Kitchen

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"Christ Mocked," a 13th-century masterpiece by Florentine artist Cimabue, was recently found in a French woman's kitchen. (Photo Credit: Philippe Lopez / AFP / Getty Images)

A long-lost masterpiece by Italian painter Cimabue was recently found in a French woman’s kitchen and experts say it is worth millions.

The painting, which is named “Christ Mocked,” was kept by an elderly French woman who lived in Compiegne, France, CNN reported. The woman, whose identity remains unknown, initially thought the strange artwork was a Greek religious icon and did not know where the tiny painting was from.

“It didn’t take long for us to see that it was an artwork by Italian painter Cimabue,” Jerome Montcouquil of Cabinet Turquin, told CNN. “He’s a father of painting so we know his work very well.”

Cabinet Turquin conducted testing on the paining after it was discovered hanging up in the woman’s kitchen this summer. According to Montcouquil, Cimabue’s masterpiece is expected to fetch up to $6.59 million at an auction next month, which will be held on October 27 at the Acteon auction house in Senlis, France, AFP noted.

Cimabue, also known as Cenni di Pepo, was born in Florence about 780 years ago. He is known for being the master of Giotto, who was one of the most popular pre-Renaissance era artists in Italy. There are only 11 of Cimabue’s paintings worldwide.

Montcouquil said the masterpiece is part of a diptych made in 1280, when Cimabue painted eight scenes that were focused on Christ. The gold background, traces of the old frame, and the style of the artwork helped experts determine that the painting was part of this triptych, according to an ARTCENTO press statement.

The Frick Collection in New York and the National Gallery in London are home to two parts of Cimabue’s “Christ Mocked” masterpiece: “The Flagellation of Christ” and “The Virgin and Child With Two Angels,” respectively.

“They are all made with the same technique on the same wood panel so you can follow the grain of the wood through the different scenes. We also used infrared light to be sure the painting was done by the same hand,” Montcouquil added. “You can even see the corrections he made.”

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