"Museums across Italy are vying for the chance to add an exceptionally rare Renaissance gem to their collection. This month, the Italian Ministry of Culture acquired the tiny, double-sided painting by the highly influential master Antonello da Messina at Sotheby's New York for $14.9 million-but where will it end up?"
"Rumors have swirled that the 15th-century masterpiece-a moving interpretation of Ecce Homo with the image of Saint Jerome in Penitence on its reverse-could head to a number of high-profile institutions, including the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Venice's Galleria dell'Accademia, or, most likely, the Capodimonte in Naples."
"But what about the Sicilian city of Messina, the artist's birth city from which he derived his name? A collective of politicians and art specialists from the town are making a compelling bid to bring the magnificent painting back home. "Antonello is a son of Messina; he belongs to this land," claimed the art historian Valentina Certo, speaking to the . Several local politicians, including the Democratic party's Fabio Venezia, are also putting pressure on Italy's culture ministry to send the coveted masterpiece back to Sicily."
Italy's Ministry of Culture purchased a tiny, double-sided 15th-century painting by Antonello da Messina at Sotheby's New York for $14.9 million. The work depicts Ecce Homo on one side and Saint Jerome in Penitence on the reverse. Major institutions such as the Pinacoteca di Brera, Venice's Galleria dell'Accademia, and the Capodimonte in Naples are leading candidates to receive the painting. A delegation from Messina, the artist's birthplace, is lobbying to return the work to Sicily, arguing cultural and historical ties. Antonello, born in Messina in 1430, introduced Flemish oil techniques to Italy and influenced the Venetian School.
Read at Artnet News
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