Researchers have attributed two previously unattributed works to Michelangelo. The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage of Belgium used radiocarbon dating, pigment analysis, and infrared reflectography to link a 16th-century oil-on-canvas Pietà to the master, finding monograms and a date consistent with his work. Separately, Italian researcher Valentina Salerno published a decade-long study using archival documents and stylistic analysis to attribute a marble bust of Christ in a Roman basilica to Michelangelo.
These discoveries matter because they could significantly expand the known body of Michelangelo's work, particularly in the medium of painting, where few confirmed works exist. The Pietà, which sold for only $35,000 in 2024, now carries the potential for immense art historical and financial revaluation, highlighting how technical and archival research continues to reshape our understanding of Old Masters.