Scoperto un nuovo Antonello da Messina. Andrà in asta a giugno: stavolta potrebbe farsi avanti la Sicilia per l’acquisto?
A newly discovered small wooden panel painting, depicting the face of a young beardless saint, has been attributed to the Renaissance master Antonello da Messina. The work, a fragment of a lost composition, will be auctioned on June 16 by Parisian auction house Ader alongside a signed early work by Peter Paul Rubens. Both come from an anonymous collector who purchased them in France decades ago.
The attribution, initially proposed by former Louvre director Michel Laclotte and supported by scholar Mauro Lucco, suggests the panel was painted in Sicily around 1476-77, potentially part of a processional banner. The discovery is significant as it could represent a rare new addition to Antonello's limited known oeuvre. The article raises the question of whether the Sicilian regional government will bid to acquire the work, highlighting the potential for a major cultural repatriation effort.