Oct 18, 2006, 16:11 GMT
Genoa, Italy - A painting found in a church loft in Genoa and previously considered a copy of a Caravaggio masterpiece has been attributed to the great Italian baroque artist himself, daily La Repubblica reported Wednesday.
The Crowning with Thorns, a 2.03 by 1.66 metres oil on canvass painting found in Genoa's Church of San Bartolomeo della Certosa, is similar to an identically-named painting currently in Prato, Tuscany.
It had been considered a copy until it was restored, leading experts to establish that it was indeed attributable to Caravaggio.
Experts say Caravaggio may have painted it while residing in Genoa in 1605. The artist had taken refuge in the northwestern Italian city after fleeing from justice for injuring a notary in Rome.
'We don't know how this painting ended up in Genoa. Perhaps Caravaggio forgot it here or he painted it as a favour for the (local) Doria family,' Piero Donati, the region's superintendent, told La Repubblica.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, considered the first great exponent of the Baroque school, led a tumultuous life. He was involved in several brawls and was accused in 1606 of killing a young man in Rome.
He died in 1610 under mysterious circumstances.
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