Spain places cultural interest restriction on Ecce Homo attributed to Caravaggio

The Autonomous Community of Madrid has placed a bond of cultural interest on theEcce Homo attributed to Caravaggio, which was in danger of ending up in an auction with an estimate of only 1,500 euros, at the Ansorena House last April. The declaration of “property of cultural interest” (BIC) was approved by the Community Council on Wednesday.

The process that led to this decision had been initiated last April 9, when the Dirección General de Patrimonio Cultural (Directorate General of Cultural Heritage) of the Community of Madrid had opened the file for the declaration as BIC of the canvas, which corresponded to lot 229 of auction 409, at the Ansorena house: before jolting all the experts and enthusiasts in the world, the painting had been cataloged by Ansorena as The Coronation of Thorns and attributed to the circle of José de Ribera. The decision was made pursuant to the ministerial order of April 7, 2021, by which the piece was expressly declared non-exportable, as a precautionary measure, because according to technical reports issued by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and the Prado Museum, the work was worthy of being declared a BIC for its historical and artistic interest, as well as for its possible attribution to Caravaggio.

“According to the technical reports available today,” the Community of Madrid explained in a note, “this oil on canvas, measuring 111 x 86 centimeters, constitutes an example of the excellence and pictorial mastery of early Italian naturalism, which exerted a great influence on the Madrilenian school of painting in the seventeenth century. Aspects such as the psychological portrayal of the characters, the realism of the faces, the strength of the light concentrated in the body of Jesus Christ, the play of the close-ups of the three characters, and the communication established with the viewer make the painting a work of great artistic interest. Likewise, it constitutes a painting of great value within the historical heritage of the Community of Madrid, as it represents a testimony to a current, Italian naturalism, which is scarcely represented in the collections located in the region. The Caravaggesque characteristics of the work in its iconography and executive language and its high quality attest to its particular relevance within the artistic heritage of the Community of Madrid.”

The decision was made, the Community of Madrid explains, regardless of the work’s authorship, the confirmation of which requires various types of analysis. However, the information about the painting that has appeared in recent months and the studies developed by experts reinforce, according to the Community, the thesis that it is an autograph by Caravaggio. Now, with BIC’s declaration, Spain secures the possibility of exercising the right of first refusal in case the owners decide to put the work up for sale again. In addition, any intervention on the painting will have to be authorized by the Community of Madrid and will have to meet the criteria established by law and the declaration of an asset of cultural interest.

Spain places cultural interest restriction on Ecce Homo attributed to Caravaggio

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