After having disappeared for over 50 years, a stolen painting from an Italian museum mysteriously popped up at an art auction in the Dutch city of Middelburg.
The painting called ‘l’eterno Benedicente’, which is over 500 years old, was stolen in 1959 from the Civico Ala Ponzone Museum in Cremona, Italy.
Until a few days ago, it was a complete mystery where the painting was hidden, which sneaky robber snagged it, and who it might have been sold to.
Now, more than 50 years later and over a thousand kilometres away, a museum employee recognised the artwork in the Netherlands. More specifically, it made a surprise appearance at the art auction house Korendijk in Middelburg, reports the NOS.
The mystery around the old painting
The employee who recognised the art piece immediately phoned the Italian art police (who knew that was a thing?). They, in turn, contacted their Dutch counterparts.
Dit is het in 1959 uit een Italiaans museum gestolen schilderij l’eterno Benedicente van Galeazzo Campi (1475-1536) dat nu in Middelburg opduikt bij een veiling. Het stelt God voor. pic.twitter.com/UvTeCIlCF2— Harrison Sealts (@HarrisonSealts) June 10, 2023
Translation: “This is the painting L’eterno Benedicente, stolen from an Italian museum in 1959, by Galeazzo Campi (1475-1536), which is now turning up at an auction in Middelburg. It represents God.”
So how did this valuable artwork end up on the wall of a Dutch auction house after decades of silence on its whereabouts?
Well, the painting was given to the auction house by a man who had bought all of the contents of a house — most likely unaware of the small Italian treasure hidden in it. The mystery continues as to whose house it was…
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Richard Bronswijk, from the police’s Art Crime Team, told the NOS: “It turned out that the man had owned it for some time and no longer knew where it came from. The most important thing for us was that the work was found. The Italians were really overjoyed.”
A painting from the 1500s
The Italian painting depicting God is one of Galeazzo Campi’s works and is now valued at around a whopping €5000.
The police don’t know much about the robbery but are now digging through the museum’s archives to find out more about the puzzling event.
Unfortunately, they’re not very hopeful of uncovering much about the robbers or how the art was snagged over 50 years on.
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Bronswijk tells NOS: “After such a long time, these kinds of paintings have already been in so many hands that it becomes impossible. And it also leads to nothing, because the statute of limitations for theft is twelve years.”
There are still many questions left to be answered, and many might remain unanswered, but Italy is happy to have a piece of its beautiful cultural heritage back.
Have you heard of any other mysterious and sudden appearances of art? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
