The masterpiece by the painter Cimabue was found in... the kitchen corner.

Cimabue, also known as Cenni di Pepo, was the teacher of the Italian painter Giotto di Bondone, who is considered the "father of the Renaissance." His painting, *Christ Mocked*, painted in the 13th century, depicts the biblical scene of Jesus accepting the crown of thorns. This painting is valued at approximately £3.5 - £5.3 million (around 100 - 150 million VND).

The painting is located in the home of a nearly 90-year-old woman in the northern French town of Compiègne. It hangs in the kitchen and is considered by the family to be a sacred religious symbol. Despite being placed directly above an electric stove used for cooking, the painting remains in good condition.

In June of this year, the woman decided to sell her house and move elsewhere. She invited an auction house from Senlis (Paris) to inspect the furniture and interior of her house, built in 1960, to see if anything could be sold. Upon entering the house, the auctioneer immediately noticed the painting.

"You rarely see something of that quality. Immediately, I thought it was a work of Italian primitiveism. But I didn't expect it to be a work by Cimabue," the auction house said.

The woman who owned the house told the auction house that for years they simply thought the painting was an old religious symbol from Russia. The painting had been hanging on her wall for so long that she didn't know where it came from or how it ended up in her house.

This masterpiece is part of a series of eight paintings by Cimabue, created in 1280, depicting the love of Jesus and the crucifixion of Jesus. Two other paintings, "The Virgin and Child with Two Angels" and "The Flagellation of Christ," are on display at the National Gallery in London (England) and the Frick Art Museum in New York (USA).

Experts describe Cimabue's works as representing "a pivotal moment in art history" because they were both influenced by the painting styles of the Eastern Roman Empire and explored three-dimensional forms and spaces.

The painting "Mocking God," found in this kitchen, will be sold at the Acteon auction house in Senlis on October 27th.

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Kieu Mai