Imagine clearing out trash from your house and accidentally stumbling upon a tattered painting that can potentially fetch you millions! While the chance of this happening is zilch, a resident from Toulouse in France just got lucky! After discovering what happens to be a lost painting by artist Caravaggio in 2014, the lucky individual now stands a chance of earning $171 million from it!
Verified first by auctioneer Marc Labarbe, the painting stands five feet tall and six feet wide and is titled – “Judith and Holofernes”. It is believed to have been painted in 1607 and can be seen depicting a scene from the Book of Judith, in which Judith, in war-torn Bethulia seduces an enemy general in his tent before beheading him ruthlessly. The exquisite art work has also been confirmed for authenticity by Paris-based art appraiser Eric Turquin even though it was turned down by the Louvre museum in 2016 after the French Government so offered it for sale.
The painting’s existence is also supported by it mention in two letters dating back to 1607 to the Duke of Mantua, a 1617 will of art dealer Louis Finson, and an estate inventory of Abraham Vinck of Antwerp in 1619. While commenting on the rare find, Turquin said, “This is the greatest painting I’ve ever found.” He further added, “It’s very violent. It’s almost unbearable. But he’s an artist who embodies the text—he makes the text living.” The lost and found Caravaggio painting will go up for auction on June 27th in Toulouse for an estimated price of $171 million.
