Renaissance Masterpiece Sold at Auction

A painting by Early Renaissance Florentine master Cimabue, discovered at the home of a 90-year-old woman in northern France, has been sold at auction for €24 million. This was reported by the Parisien newspaper.

In June, the auction house in Compiègne was commissioned to help "clear out the clutter" from the elderly woman’s home. Staff members found the artwork on a wall between the kitchen and the living room. They contacted the "Turquin" appraisal office for verification, where it was confirmed that the canvas belonged to the renowned artist Cimabue.

The painting depicts the Passion of Christ and is believed to be part of a diptych created around 1280. Initially estimated at €4 to €6 million, the canvas sold for €24.1 million ($26.7 million) at the Acteon auction house, including auction fees.

According to the France-Presse agency, this amount has set a record for a primitive artist, as none of his works had ever been sold at auctions before, as reported by RIA Novosti.