Caravaggio that nearly went for a song put on show in Madrid

A recently rediscovered work by the Italian master Caravaggio is to go on show in the Prado museum after being bought for $59m.

A painting by Italian master Caravaggio, titled Ecce Homo, at the Prado museum in Madrid. Picture: AFP.

“Caravaggio, the star that shines brightest in Madrid (with Taylor Swift’s permission)”, ran a Spanish newspaper headline.

It referred to the fact that the presence of the American singer in the capital was – almost – eclipsed on Monday (Tuesday AEST) by news that a recently rediscovered work by the Italian master is to go on show in the Prado museum.

Titled Ecce Homo, the painting was due to be sold at auction in 2021 with a reserve price of €1500. It was mistakenly attributed to an artist belonging to the circle of the 17th-century Spanish painter Jusepe de Ribera.

However, hours before it was to go under the hammer the culture ministry blocked the sale on suspicion that it was in fact by Caravaggio.

The Prado announced this month that experts had determined that the painting was “without a doubt a Caravaggio masterpiece”, calling it “one of the greatest discoveries in the history of art”.

Spanish media have reported that the new owner is a British national who lives in Spain and paid €36m ($59m) for the painting, which may remain on public display after its show at the Prado, where it will be exhibited until October 13.

Painted around 1605-09, it “is not going to end up in the home of its buyer” who wants it to join “public collections, for the moment, on loan”, Jorge Coll, the head of Colnaghi, the London art dealership that handled the sale, told El Pais newspaper.

Believed to have once been part of the private collection of Philip IV of Spain, the painting is one of about only 60 known works by Caravaggio still in existence and therefore one of the most valuable old masters in the world, the museum said.

“The Ecce Homo allows us to see Caravaggio’s technical evolution towards a much more agile final style,” David Garcia Cueto, the Prado’s Italian painting expert, said.

“It has been 45 years since something similar has happened, that a Caravaggio has appeared and the critics have been unanimous in including it in their catalogue.”

The Times