Italy’s Culture Ministry on Thursday placed a recently purchased devotional painting by early Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina on display in the Senate, an effort led by Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli that he said reflects a push to secure more major works for Italy’s public institutions. Giuli told The Associated Press that the government wants people to understand the importance of bringing artworks “back to Italy” and making them available to Italians and the world.
The ministry’s purchase involves a double-sided work titled “Ecce Homo,” which Giuli said it bought from Sotheby’s in New York for $14.9 million. The Associated Press report said the deal followed other recent acquisitions supported by the ministry, including an earlier purchase of a Caravaggio portrait from a private collector for 30 million euros (about $35 million).
Giuli said he flew to New York this week to complete the Sotheby’s transaction for the panel painting, which he described as measuring 20.3 cm by 14.3 cm. On one side, “Ecce Homo” shows Jesus with a crown of thorns and a rope around his neck, depicting the moment Pontius Pilate hands Jesus over to the crowd for crucifixion. The other side features a depiction of Saint Jerome the Penitent.
According to the AP account, the work dates to around 1470 and spent years in a leather bag with its owner, who pulled it out for prayer. The report said the face of Saint Jerome has been worn away by the owner’s repeated devotional kissing.
Giuli said the Italian government became aware of the work as it was nearing auction and intervened. He also responded to questions about funding priorities, saying in his AP interview that while “Our pockets are not deep” because the Culture Ministry budget is not even 0.3 percent of the national budget, it is still “large enough to purchase works of art,” and he said such acquisitions do not affect resources for other government activities because they have different funding lines.
The ministry said it plans to circulate the painting beyond Rome, starting with a showing at the National Museum of Abruzzo in L’Aquila. From there, the plan is to move the artwork to other locations in Italy so that more people can see it in person.
Giuli’s comments on Thursday capped a week in which the ministry has continued to frame art purchases as both preservation and public access. The Associated Press report said the acquisition also came shortly after Italy bought a rare Caravaggio portrait by baroque painter Caravaggio, presented as one of the largest state investments ever for a single artwork.