A hot debate is on if the painting found in the attic of a house in France in April 2014, is an authentic masterpiece from the Italian Renaissance master Caravaggio. The painting is said to be worth 120 million Euros according to experts. The Painting measured 144 cm by 175 cm and was stuffed in the rafters of the old home.
While the authenticity of the masterpiece has been questioned by specialists; it has got the backing of top Caravaggio specialist, Nicola Spinoza, former director of the Naples museum.
Nicola said that there were many facts which reinforce the authenticity of the painting. The canvass has all the characteristic of the Lombard master all over it even though we do not have irrefutable proof. The painting is flawless and of energy level typical of Caravaggio. Experts say that the long and confident brush strokes in the painting depicting the blood pouring down the neck of the war general Holofernes prove it is real.
The 400-year-old painting was accidently discovered by the owners of a house near the southwestern city of Toulouse when they were fixing a leak in the ceiling. The theme of the painting is the gruesome beheading of the general Holofernes by Judith from the mythical Book of Judith. The painting is said to have been painted sometime in between 1600 and 1610.
Meanwhile the French Culture Minister has enforced an export ban after a close study by experts from the Louvre museum in Paris. The Ministry feels that the paintings must remain in French soil since it is a priceless Caravaggio marker and must be thoroughly investigated.
Some art historians attribute the painting to Louis Finson, a Flemish painter, and disciple of Caravaggio, who died in 1617. There is no paucity of skeptics who question the authenticity of the painting. One such skeptic is Mina Gregori, and she feels that it is not genuine though she accepts the quality of the work is very, very high.
