An Old Painting Found in an Someone's Kitchen Was Just Auctioned Off for $26 Million
An older woman in Compiègne, a city in northern France, just got the surprise of a lifetime. She's had a small artwork hanging over a hot plate in her kitchen for years, a painting she believed was just an old religious piece with no value—until it was spotted by an auctioneer.
Tests were carried out on the small piece, which measures just eight inches by ten inches, using infrared light, and experts believe that the painting was created by Italian painter Cimabue, also known as Cenni di Pepo, who was active in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
Acteon Auction House revealed that the painting, which was purchased by an anonymous French buyer, established a new world record for a medieval painting sold at auction. It went for $26.6 million, which is around four times the expected price of just $7,720,200.
"When a unique work of a painter as rare as Cimabue comes to market, you have to be ready for surprises," auctioneer Dominique Le Coent told Reuters news agency.
According to BBC, the $26.6 million painting is believed to be part of a polyptych—which is a larger work of painted scenes divided into several panels. The work dates all the way back to 1280 and depicts Christ's crucifixion.
Two other paintings from the polyptych can be seen at both London's National Gallery, and the Frick Collection in New York. I'm not sure about you, but I'm definitely giving the artwork in my home another check... and stat!
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