Italy's Culture Ministry has put a recently purchased devotional painting by early Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina on display in the Senate, with Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli announcing that such acquisitions would be increased. The painting, titled 'Ecce Homo,' was bought from Sotheby's auction house in New York for $14.9 million.
The purchase comes just weeks after the ministry paid a private collector 30 million euros (about $35 million) for a portrait by Caravaggio. Giuli stated, 'It is true that there is a policy to step up these acquisitions. We want people to understand how important it is for us to bring works of great artistic and public significance back to Italy and make them available to the world as well as to Italians.'
The double-sided devotional painting on a wooden panel measures 20.3 cm by 14.9 cm. One side depicts Jesus with a crown of thorns and a rope around his neck, while the other shows Saint Jerome the Penitent. Dating from around 1470, the artwork was carried by its owner in a leather bag for years and used in prayer, with the face of Saint Jerome worn away by repeated devotional kissing.
Giuli noted that the Italian government became aware of the work as it was about to go on auction and intervened. He acknowledged the Culture Ministry's limited budget, saying, 'Our pockets are not deep, as the Culture Ministry budget is not even 0.3 percent of the national budget, but it is large enough to purchase works of art.' He added that acquisitions do not impact resources for other government activities.
The artwork will initially be displayed in the National Museum of Abruzzo in L’Aquila before moving to other locations in Italy to allow as many people as possible to see it. The acquisition follows the purchase of a rare Caravaggio portrait, one of the largest state investments ever for a single artwork.
