A 13th-century painting found hanging over the kitchen stove of an elderly French woman and later sold for €24m (£21m) at auction has been acquired by the Louvre after a ban on its exportation.
The Paris museum says the pre-Renaissance painting, now one of the oldest works in its collection, will be the centrepiece of an exhibition in 2025 after a four-year effort to keep it in France.
Christ Mocked was painted by the Florentine artist Cimabue around 1280. It is believed to be one of eight panels from a large diptych, five of which are still missing.
The painting was heading for the rubbish tip during a house clearance when the owner’s family called in an expert to see if there was anything of value in the property. Thinking the work could be worth up to €400,000, the expert sent it to an art specialist in Paris who declared it to be a genuine Cimabue.
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