ROME – It seemed too good to be true: the discovery of a new painting by Caravaggio during celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of his death. It turns out, it probably was.
Scholars unveiling the painting Tuesday concurred that Martyrdom of St. Lawrence did not look like a Caravaggio, but rather like the work of one or more of his followers. This week, the Vatican newspaper, which first suggested the canvas could be the work of Caravaggio, shot down its own report and retracted the claim.
The work will still be subjected to analyses to ascertain its attribution. But experts held out little hope of its authenticity.
“It’s a very interesting painting but I believe we can rule out . . . that it’s a Caravaggio,” said Italy’s art superintendent, Rossella Vodret, moments before unveiling the painting in the Jesuit church where it has been for years.
The 72-by-51-inch oil on canvas is dominated by the figure of St. Lawrence being grilled to death before his three executioners. The painting features the dramatic chiaroscuro – high-contrast light and dark – typical of Caravaggio and his school.
The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano set the art world aflutter last week with a front-page article headlined “A New Caravaggio.” The article made clear that no certain attribution had been made and that further tests were required. But the definitive-sounding headline and the fact that the claim was made on the day marking the 400th anniversary of the master’s death had raised expectations.
The newspaper reversed itself Monday with an article by the Vatican’s top art historian shooting down the claim. Under the headline “A New Caravaggio? Not really,” museums chief Antonio Paolucci wrote that the work was not of Caravaggio’s quality and termed it “modest” at best.
Scholars said the painting is uneven artistically, with some beautiful elements and some parts they didn’t hesitate to call “very poor” and even “embarrassing.” This suggested that two different people may have worked at it, though it is not certain.
Experts believed the work may have been done by a follower, likely in Naples, Sicily or Malta – places where the painter, who rarely signed his paintings, spent time during his tumultuous life. A notorious brawler, he died at 38 in a Tuscan coast town in 1610, in mysterious circumstances