Finding Treasures
Philomène Wolf reached for her chair and sat down … before she fell down.
The appraiser had seen plenty of treasures pass through Senlis … but this. This was stunning. She put on her gloves and carefully ran her fingers over the gold paint. She was officially out of her depth. She would need help with this one.
Trained Eye
It had become an amusing, personal game – guess what people brought in.
She had been in the game long enough to usually be right. Most of the time, it was house cleaning, inheritances, moving, or those just looking for money. And, most of the time, they ended up disappointed. An old woman hobbled in. “A cross,” she guessed.
A Unique Find
She helped the 90-year-old French woman into a comfortable seat.
With a crackly voice, the senior explained how she was going to move and wanted to sell some things. “Called it,” Philomène thought. She listened to her story and watched her pull back the fabric. The appraiser's eyes landed on the piece. She could only stare.
Beautiful Golds
The gold might have been muted under age and grime, but it still held a captivating brilliance.
Faded greys, slate blues, and rich reds showed a religious scene. “Italian primitivism?” she wondered. She examined the holes in the wood. “Where did you get this?”
Above The Stove
The woman shrugged and explained it had been in her possession for a long time.
She had always thought it was a fake and just an icon, but she liked it anyway. Philomène admired the brush strokes as she listened to the story. “I kept it above my hotplate,” she said. Philomène looked up in disbelief. Where?!
Initial Estimate
She felt his stomach twist and rise into his throat. Years of smoke and oil splatter.
She shook the feeling away and tried to remain professional. “Well, there’s no signature. But my initial estimate would be somewhere around 400,000 Euros. I will have to get a second opinion though.”
Extra Help
The woman's wrinkles disappeared for a moment as her eyes went as big as her glasses.
Part of Philomène worried the old woman would have a heart attack then and there. She offered her water, helped her calm down, then explained this wasn’t the end of the process. They needed someone else.
Master Appraiser
“We will need to get Turquin to take a look at it.” Eric Turquin was a well-known Old Master appraiser based in Paris.
He would know exactly what the 10-inch by 8-inch painting would be worth. Even with the years of exposure, it was going to be a very interesting appraisal.
One Word
When Philomène finally sat across from the renowned master and handed over the panel, she watched the man’s eye bulge.
He turned it over and ran his finger along the wood base. “It can’t be.” Every thought and detail only needed to be summed up in one word … “Cimabue.” Oh, how Philomène had been wrong.
Father Of Painting
The 13th-century Florentine artist Cenni di Pepo (a.k.a. Cimabue) is widely considered a father of western painting.
There are some pieces registered within the collector’s community, but nothing new has been found in recent history. If they could confirm it, the piece would be worth easily over 4 million. But how to confirm its authenticity?
Worm Holes
First, the piece was formally handed over to Turquin. Then there were standard UV and other tests.
But the most interesting connection would be two other pieces by Cimabue. The old woman’s painting was part of a polyptych – a set of three images. The wooden backgrounds contained worm tunnels. This would be the final proof.
Helpful Damage
It was simple. When the sets were lined up, the old worm holes would line up as well.
Philomène watched in awe as Turquin mapped out the damage. It was indeed the “Mocking of Christ”. The long lost piece was finally home. Next was to auction it off and see how the world reacted.
Auction Fever
Philomène watched the crowded room. It wasn’t her project anymore, but she wanted to see it through to the end.
This was history. The handlers brought it out and the bidding opened. Numbers sailed through the room. Online and phone participate fought with the ones who had traveled to see it in person.
Final Price
The energy was thick. Everyone wanted it. Bids went higher and it quickly passed their estimated 4 million mark.
Up and up the price rose along with gasps and claps. The final price? Both she and the old master had been off by so much. The last bid came in at $26.8 million!
Historical Find
However, it wasn’t a surprise. Cimabue, for many, was the “beginning of everything” – even Turquin nearly cried when he saw it.
The painter held so much influence that he’s mentioned in Dante’s Divine Comedy. It was a monumental find that no one, especially the old woman, would forget.