"Kitchen Discovery: Ancient Painting Finds New Home at Louvre"
The Louvre has successfully acquired the 13th-century painting "Christ Mocked" after a four-year effort, with the help of a government export ban. The painting, by Cimabue, was discovered hanging in a Frenchwoman's kitchen and was initially headed for the trash. The Louvre was outbid at auction in 2019 but the French Culture Ministry declared the work a national treasure and temporarily prohibited its export. The museum was given 30 months to raise the $24 million purchase price, and it succeeded. The painting is considered a crucial milestone in art history and will be exhibited alongside another Cimabue work in spring 2025.
