A painting believed lost for centuries has unexpectedly resurfaced on the art market and is now on public display in an exhibition dedicated to the visual history of Lerici. The work, attributed to Hendrick Van Cleve III, was discovered and is being showcased as part of a show titled "The Rediscovered Painting..." that explores the iconographic history of the city.
This discovery matters because it rewrites the iconographic history of Lerici, offering new insights into the city's visual heritage and the work of a little-known Old Master. The reappearance of a long-lost painting on the art market and its immediate return to public view highlights the ongoing importance of provenance research and the role of exhibitions in recontextualizing historical artworks.