Talk about a lucky find!
An old statue that was bought in a garden sale turned out to be a very, very, valuable piece of artwork. Called a “landmark re-discovery,” the sculpture turned out to be Antonio Canova’s (1757-1822) Maddalena Giacente (Recumbent Magdalene). The long-lost art piece was estimated to have been created between 1819 to 1822.
Noted as Canova’s lost masterpiece, the Magdalene sculpture was commissioned by the UK Prime Minister of the day, Lord Liverpool. According to lead Canova scholar Dr. Mario Guderzo, finding the sculpture 200 years after its completion was a miracle. He added:
“This work has been searched for by scholars for decades, so the discovery is of fundamental importance for the history of collecting and the history of art. It testifies to the intensive thought process of the work of the Italian sculptor who was a fundamental witness of his time: faithful to Pope Pius VII, sought after by Napoleon, beloved by the English sovereign George IV, esteemed by the world of European collecting and of critical importance for the restitution of works of art seized under Napoleon. The re-discovery of the ‘Recumbent Magdalene’ brings to a conclusion a very particular story worthy of a novel, of a marble of significant historical value and great aesthetic beauty produced by Canova in the final years of his artistic activity.”
The value of the sculpture is certainly remarkable, it is worth around £5,000,000-8,000,000 according to lead auction house Christie’s.
Image credit: Christie’s