American Museum Kimbell bought the picture, which, according to some experts, is one of the earliest works of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti

Kimbell Art Museum, located in the U.S. city of Fort-Huerta, Texas, bought the picture, which, according to some experts, is one of the earliest works of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti (Michelangelo Buonarroti). According to recent studies, this work - «The Martyrdom of St. Anthony» - was written in the years 1487-1488. If Michelangelo indeed is the author of this masterpiece, he wrote it at the age of 12-13 years. If these assumptions are correct, then this creature - one of only four easel works by this outstanding master, who mostly wrote frescoes.

picture of Attribution is heated debate among scientists has been four and a half centuries. In the historical sources mentioned that Michelangelo wrote a picture with the image of St. Anthony. However, if this is the same work that the museum acquired the Kimbell, with an accuracy impossible.

«The Martyrdom of St. Anthony» exhibited in Paris in 1874. But then about its authenticity raised some questions. Therefore, since the 1900's painting acquired a family from London, she was kept in a private collection and has long been forgotten.

Last summer, work has been exhibited at Sotheby's auction in London, with attribution «Atelier Domenico Girlandayo» (ie there was a student of Michelangelo). Alexander Bell (Alexander Bell), head of old master paintings at Sotheby's London, explained: «This is a fairly well-known picture, and we knew that she wrote to Michelangelo, but at that time we did not have any evidence».

that the authors work with the image of St. Anthony is one of the Titans Renaissance was convinced, and art dealer from New York, Adam Williams (Adam Williams). He was so sure that even I bought it for 2 million dollars at Sotheby's auction and took her to the specialists from the Metropolitan Museum. Seeing this picture, written in oil and tempera on wood, they were amazed. «I've never seen this picture before, and looked at her and immediately said that the authorship of Michelangelo is apparent. The painting depicts the stones to cross-hatching which no one but Michelangelo did not do », - said the curator of European painting department of the Metropolitan Museum of Keith Christiansen (Keith Christiansen). With him in solidarity and Michael Gallagher (Michael Gallagher), a specialist in the conservation of the Metropolitan Museum, decontamination, and the study of the work: «It was terribly dirty. But after long layers have been removed, the true quality of the creations it became evident ».

This amazing masterpiece heard Claire Barry (Claire Barry), the chief curator of Kimbell Art Museum. She came to the Metropolitan, has examined the painting and contacted the director of the museum's Eric McCauley Lee (Eric McCauley Lee). He also studied the work that persuaded the board of directors to buy it: «At first it seemed to me ridiculous. But after I came to the Metropolitan and saw her, I was struck by its visual power. It was covered with mud and the more recent layers of paint, and many did not recognize in it the hand of Michelangelo ». The amount that direction Kimbell Museum paid for the purchase has not been disclosed, but experts argue that the sum exceeds 6 million dollars.

art has long been known that Michelangelo actually wrote a copy of the prints with the image of St. Anthony of the XV century, the German artist Martin Shongauera (Martin Schongauer). A biography of Michelangelo, Ascanio Kondivi (Ascanio Condivi), wrote that the young artist told him that working on the picture, he went to the local market to see how to write fish scales.

A painting of St. Anthony is mentioned and the other Biography - Giorgio Vasari (Giorgio Vasari). However, he initially attributed the authorship of original prints Albrecht Dürer (Albrecht Dürer), and then, at the request of Michelangelo, corrected the name of the author's Shongauera.

If you compare the work of Michelangelo and Shongauera, it is clear that Michelangelo did not make an exact copy: besides the fact that he added to one of the demons of fish scales, it is slightly raised head of St. Anthony and gave him a loss expression.

«The Martyrdom of St. Anthony» will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum from June to August this year, and then go to a museum Kimbell. «Now this is one of our main treasures», - confessed Director Eric Lee.

material produced Catherine Onuchin, AI

Sources: nytimes.com , news.yahoo. com , artinvestment.ru