There was a lot of excitement regarding the upcoming auction of Caravaggio’s Painting which scheduled for later. It was also expected that the auction of this painting would break all the previous records. However, we have some news which will wash out all the excitement regarding the Caravaggio Painting.
The news, as reported by Reuters, is that the Caravaggio Painting has been sold in a private sale even before the auction. An auction house in Toulouse, France, Marc Labarbe, has called off the auction of Caravaggio painting Judith and Holofernes (1607). And the reason behind this is that the painting has already been sold. This auction was going to happen on Thursday, expected to break records, but the auction house decided to make the sale early.
It is reported that the painting was giving an estimate of $170 Million. However, Marc Labarbe has said that the painting has been “sold privately to a foreign buyer”. However, there is a confidentiality agreement regarding the sale which means that Marc Labarbe cannot reveal who the buyer is and at what price the painting has been sold.
Interestingly, Marc Labarbe had found Judith and Holofernes painting in an attic back in 2014. The painting was found in Toulouse home of a friend of Labarbe’s and ever since then, it has become a point of intrigue.
This painting conveys the Biblical tale of Judith who decapitated the Assyrian general Holofernes. It is also believed to be a version of Caravaggio painting that is in possession of Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica based in Rome.
An expert named Eric Turqurin working at Marc Labarbe said that the painting is “a very important milestone of Caravaggism.” Also, French Culture ministry also stated in an official notification that the painting is “a very important Caravaggio marker, whose history and attribution are to be fully investigated.”