Posted on 07/29/2011 6:13:47 AM PDT by NYer
A painting of Christ’s crucifixion believed to be the work of Michelangelo has been hanging in the residence of a small Jesuit community at Oxford for more than 70 years.
Purchased at auction by the Campion Hall community in the 1930s, the painting was believed to be the work of Marcello Venusti, one of Michelangelo’s 16th-century contemporaries. But recent tests revealed that the work was indeed created by the Renaissance painter, reports the National Jesuit News.
The discovery was made by historian and conservationist Antonio Forcellino, who used infrared technology to uncover who he believes is the true creator of the painting.
BBC News reported that the residents were both excited and concerned by the find — excited because they had something very special in their midst, but also concerned that the piece was too valuable to continue hanging on a wall in their residence.
So the work of art has been removed and sent to the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology at Oxford University for safekeeping, according to the Jesuits.
T’would be nice were the Jesuits to find Christ.
Ping!
The Jesuits will be selling it shortly to pay for the law suits they have accumulated.
!
The great Mickey B!
If it is, it is not one of his best works.
It would be interesting to see what it would bring on a Christys or a Southbeys auction.
They could probably pay off the National Debt with what it will bring.
It would be fun to attend that auction and watch the bidding frenzy.
Definitely his style, although a minor work. The big clue is that it seems like it wasn’t signed. He only signed one piece.
It's not in the US, so I doubt it.
Agreed. The tip off for me was the figure to the right. It reminded me of this motif from Michelangelo's Last Judgement.
Yes. Also, the colors are correct and Michelangelo did not know how to paint (or sculpt) women well. I guess he just wasn’t interested. They always ended up looking a lot more like men with the appropriate, uh, well, you know.
;-) Indeed, I do! One of the highlights of my travels to Italy was a visit to the Academia in Florence to see Micheleangelo's David. The hallway leading up to the statue is flanked with his unfinished works. Here we see, as he often described them to this students, sculptures pushing against the marble in an attempt to extrude themselves. The David is breathtaking! The right hand is larger than the left and, looking at the veins, they appear to pulsate with real blood. The man was truly a genius of sculpture - painting - architecture - design. A veritable renaissance man!
What would be even more fun would be to see somebody pay a gazillion dollars for it, and then find out it was painted by one of Micky’s STUDENTS! LOL
(wouldn’t be the first time!)
That would be funny!
LOL!
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