The police came to the door, and the museum knew it had been stolen: Italian police found the stolen da Vinci paintings in a private apartment

Police and recovery of a replica of "The Savior".

On January 21, according to Sky News, italian police recently discovered a stolen replica of Leonardo da Vinci's famous 16th-century painting "The Savior". The stolen paintings are from the collection of the Museo del Doma in the Church of San Domenico Maggiore in Naples.

The painting depicts Jesus in a robe holding a crystal ball and gazing ahead as he raises his hand in blessing. It is worth mentioning that when the police returned the painting to the museum, the custodians learned that the painting was missing.

"This painting was bought casually in the market by myself"

In the bedroom cupboard of a 36-year-old apartment owner, police found the 500-year-old painting and arrested him on suspicion of receiving stolen goods.

Police Chief Alfredo Fabroccini said the painting was accidentally found in a cupboard in an apartment bedroom during an operation on Jan. 16.

After discovering the painting, the police questioned the man, who said he had bought it at the market.

Fabroccini said: "The police have not received any [theft] reports, in fact we only realised that the painting had disappeared after we contacted the museum. Due to the epidemic, the room where the painting is stored has not been open for three months. ”

Italian police are currently investigating the theft of the painting, as there are no signs of prying or breaking into the museum's collection itself. The apartment owner is currently under police interrogation for harboring stolen goods.

The painting was created by da Vinci students

The replica of "The Savior" was kept in the Dorma Museum in the local Church of San Domenico Maggiore in Naples before it was stolen, and the painting disappeared during the coronavirus epidemic because the museum was closed at that time, so the custodians did not realize that it had been taken. "Anyone who sees the painting will want to own it, and it's likely a theft commissioned by an organization engaged in the transnational art trade," the police said. ”

This reproduction is considered to be the work of the da Vinci school, not his own. Staff said the restored painting may have been created around 1520 by a student of Leonardo da Vinci, bought by Giovan Antonio Musetola, adviser to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and placed in the Musetola Family Church in Basilica. Although it is not the original, it is still of some collectibility because it is an ancient painting created in the 16th century.

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The original has been called "the most expensive work of art ever"

On the evening of November 15, 2017, New York time, the only available work by Leonardo da Vinci, "The Savior", fell for $400 million (about 2.6 billion yuan), plus the commission price of $4503.12 million (about 2.9 billion yuan), becoming the "most expensive work of art in history", and the entire auction process lasted only 20 minutes.

"The Savior" has not appeared in public since the auction. Last year, the Louvre Abu Dhabi announced it would exhibit the painting, but postponed the unveiling without any explanation. Since then, the whereabouts of the painting have become the focus of speculation.

The most common saying is that the painting was stored in a warehouse in Geneva, Switzerland. In Geneva, more than 1 million works of art are secretly stored in duty-free warehouses by collectors and galleries, according to The New York Times.

But in early January, art dealer Kenny Shakert published a review article in which another theory emerged: The last known private collection of Leonardo da Vinci's work was on a luxury yacht by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Ben Lewis, author of The Last Leonardo da Vinci, describes in detail the mystery and controversy surrounding the painting. He believes that the yacht story may not be as far-fetched as it seems.

"It's either on the yacht or in the locker in Geneva, and I've come to the conclusion that there's a really good chance it's on the yacht." But Lewis stressed that hanging the painting on a yacht may not be safe.

There have been many theories and speculations about the ownership of the painting, but today, the painting is still missing.

Li Dan, a reporter of this newspaper, compiled the report

【Source: Xiaoxiang Morning News】

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