Titian's 16th-century masterpiece The Rest on the Flight into Egypt, was sold in an auction for $22.3 million, breaking the painter's previous auction record. In 2002, the painting was found in a plastic bag at a London bus stop after a £100,000 ransom was paid.
Christie's described it as "the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation," praising its "impeccable provenance and quiet beauty." The auction house announced the sale last week.
The painting depicts Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus fleeing to Egypt. Measuring 46cm-by-63cm the canvas is believed to have been painted around 1510 when the painter was 20 years old.
The painting has a tumultuous history. It was documented as part of a Venetian spice merchant's collection in the 17th century, looted by Napoleon's troops in 1809, and stolen from the Marquess of Bath's Longleat House in 1995.
Titian, born in the Dolomite mountains and based in Venice, gained fame for his religious paintings, and luminous colors. The sale of The Rest on the Flight into Egypt set a record for any of his works.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Business Insider, Times of India, Washington Post, New York Post, Financial Times, CNN, BBC, Barron's, Yahoo, Guardian, Forbes, The Sun, Newsr, ILNA, Conservative Angle, WND, Seoul, SheThePeople, NZ Herald, Kenyan Post.