Wednesday 13th April 2016

“Judith Beheading Holofernes”  Carravagio Circa 1604-1605

A 400 -year-old picture thought to be by the Italian Master Carravagio entitled ‘Judith Beheading Holofernes’ has been found in an attic in Southern France on the outskirts of Toulouse after more than 150 years.

The painting which was retrieved 2 years ago by the French Expert Eric Turquin is believed to depict  the biblical heroine Judith beheading an Assyrian general and is thought to have been painted in Rome around 1604-05.

According to Eric Turquin, the work is in an exceptional state of conservation and he estimates it to be worth around $135 million.  After consulting two Carravagio experts who attributed the work to Finson, a painter and art dealer who collected Carravagio,  Turquin believes that there will never be a consensus on the painting’s authenticity.

However, a third expert consulted by Turquin confirmed that it was not only a Caravaggio, but also a masterpiece,” Turquin added  “‘Judith Beheading Holofernes’ must be considered the most important painting, by far, to have emerged in the last 20 years by one of the great masters.”

The picture has been awarded “National Treasure” status by French authorities, meaning that it can’t be exported for 30 months, leaving the national museums enough time for its acquisition.

While stating that the art work has yet to be authenticated, France’s Culture Ministry justified its decision to ban the export of the painting because it “deserves to be kept on (French) territory as a very important landmark of Caravaggism.”

 

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