Cimabue, also known as Cenni di Pepo, was the teacher of the Italian painter Giotto di Bondone, who is known as the "father of the Renaissance". The painting Christ Mocked, painted by Cimabue in the 13th century, tells the story of the biblical story of Jesus accepting the crown of thorns. This painting is valued at £3.5 - £5.3 million (about 100 - 150 million VND).
Christ Mocked by Cimabue.
The painting is located in the home of a woman in her late 90s in the northern French town of Compiègne. It hangs in the kitchen and is of considerable interest to the family, who consider it a standard religious icon. Despite being placed directly above the electric stove used for cooking, the painting is still in good condition.
In June of this year, the woman decided to sell her house and move elsewhere. She invited an auction house in Senlis (Paris) to come and look at the furniture and interior of the house, built in 1960, to see if there was anything that could be sold. When entering the house, the auctioneer immediately noticed the painting.
"You rarely see something of this quality. Immediately, I thought it was a work of Italian primitivism. But I had no idea it was a Cimabue," the auction house said.
The homeowner told the auction house that for years they simply thought the painting was an old religious icon from Russia. The painting had hung on her wall for so long that she had no idea where it came from or how it got there.
This masterpiece is part of a series of eight paintings painted by Cimabue from 1280, depicting the love of Jesus and the event of Jesus' crucifixion. Two other paintings, "The Virgin and Child with Two Angels" and "The Flagellation of Christ", are on display at the National Gallery in London (UK) and the Frick Museum of Art in New York (USA).
Experts describe Cimabue's works as representing "a pivotal moment in art history" because they were both influenced by Byzantine painting styles and explored three-dimensional forms and space.
The Mocking of Christ, found in the kitchen, will be sold at the Acteon auction house in Senlis on October 27.
