Long-lost painting worth $26 million (P1.4 billion) headed to Louvre after being found in a kitchen

A priceless painting that was thought to be lost has been added to the Louvre Museum's valuable collection after it was found in a kitchen four years ago.

In a report by CNN, Florentine painter Cimabue's masterpiece, titled "Christ Mocked," was discovered in an elderly woman’s house in the town of Compiegne in 2019. The woman displayed the 10-inch by 8-inch painting in her kitchen, which she thought depicted a Greek religious icon.

After it was discovered, the artwork was subjected to tests to determine its authenticity, headed by Jerome Montcouquil of art specialists Cabinet Turquin. 

"It didn’t take long for us to see that it was an artwork by Italian painter Cimabue," Montcouquil told the news outlet. "He’s a father of painting so we know his work very well."

Afterward, Christ Mocked was sold at an auction in the same year it was found for almost 24.2 million euros ($26.8 million or P1.4 billion). However, the French government intervened and assigned the painting the "national treasure" status, causing it to be withheld for 30 months until they could raise the funds to buy it for the nation.

Now, the painting has found its home in the world's most-visited art museum, as announced by France’s minister of culture, Rima Abdul Malak, and the president and director of the Louvre Museum, Laurence des Cars.

"These acquisitions are the result of an exceptional mobilization of the Louvre Museum which allows to preserve in France works coveted by the greatest museums of the world and to make them accessible to all," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry did not disclose the means to raise the money, which they described as a "crucial milestone in art history, marking the fascinating transition from icon to painting."

Christ Mocked will now join Cimabue's much larger painting titled "Maestà" in the Louvre collection. Only around 15 of Cimabue’s works are known, which is why the painting "is a national treasure of major importance."

From the name itself, Christ Mocked depicts the ridicule that Jesus faced before his crucifixion and was painted with egg tempera on a gold leaf background.

Aside from Cimabue's works, the Louvre Museum is home to other high-culture art pieces, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.