Imagine buying a painting for £30,000 and discovering that it is actually worth millions. That is what happened to an anonymous French collector who bought a portrait of Mary Magdalene from a London gallery, only to find out that it was painted by none other than Raphael, one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance.
The painting, which measures 46cm by 33cm, depicts a young woman with long brown hair and a blue cloak, holding a jar of ointment. She is identified as Mary Magdalene, the follower of Jesus who witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection. The painting was sold by a London gallery in 2017, after being bought at a small auction. The gallery’s curators thought that the painting was from Leonardo da Vinci’s studio, but they were not impressed by its provenance and condition. They described it as “very dirty” and sold it for a modest sum.
However, the French collector who bought the painting had a hunch that it was something special. He contacted Annalisa Di Maria, a researcher of the life and work of da Vinci and a member of the board of directors of the UNESCO Club of Florence. Di Maria agreed to examine the painting and enlisted the help of two other experts: Nathalie Popis, a specialist in the use of mathematics in art, and Andrea Chiarabini, a doctor of molecular biology.
The team of experts used various methods to analyse the painting, including infrared reflectography, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, DNA testing and mathematical modelling. They compared the painting with other works by Raphael and his contemporaries, such as Pietro Perugino, who was Raphael’s teacher and also painted a portrait of Mary Magdalene. They also compared the painting with the Mona Lisa by da Vinci, who was Raphael’s rival and inspiration.
The results of their study, published on the ISTE Open Science website, were astonishing. They concluded that the painting was indeed by Raphael, and that it was painted around 1506-1507, when he was 23-24 years old. They argued that the painting showed Raphael’s mastery of light, colour, perspective and anatomy, as well as his ability to convey the psychological state of his subject. They also identified the model in the painting as Chiara Fancelli, the wife of Perugino, who was Raphael’s lover at the time.
The experts claimed that Raphael painted Mary Magdalene as a tribute to his love for Chiara, and that he used his own drawing as the basis for Perugino’s version of the same subject. They also suggested that Raphael hid some clues in the painting, such as his signature in Greek letters on the jar of ointment, and a reference to his astrological sign (Pisces) on the blue cloak.
The discovery of this painting is a remarkable addition to Raphael’s oeuvre, which consists of about 300 paintings and drawings. Raphael is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. He was born in Urbino in 1483 and died in Rome in 1520 at the age of 37. He painted some of the most famous frescoes in the Vatican Palace, such as The School of Athens and The Transfiguration. He also painted portraits, altarpieces and Madonnas that are admired for their beauty and grace.
The French collector who owns the painting said that he was “overwhelmed” by the discovery and that he wanted to share it with the public. He said that he hoped to exhibit the painting in a museum in France or Italy soon. He also said that he had no intention of selling it, despite its potential value.
The London gallery that sold the painting declined to comment on the matter. However, they might be regretting their mistake and wondering how they missed such a treasure. As Di Maria said: “This is an incredible story. It shows that sometimes miracles can happen.”
