The discovery of a 13th century painting made by pre-Reinassance artist Cimabue above an elderly woman's hotplate in northern France stunned the art world and now the government has decided it is a national treasure.
The discovery of a 13th century painting made by pre-Reinassance artist Cimabue above an elderly woman's hotplate in northern France stunned the art world and now the government has decided it is a national treasure. As such, France has barred the export of the painting for 30 months to allow time to raise funds to buy it for the nation. The tiny work was spotted by an auctioneer during a visit to an elderly woman's house in a town north of Paris. The woman was in her nineties and had moved to a retirement home, so an inventory was being made before her house was due to be emptied. The painting was put up for auction after it was evaluated by experts.