Florence, portraits of Michelangelo and Rosso Fiorentino discovered in Giorgio Vasari's altarpiece?

It could be one of the most interesting discoveries of the year that has been announced at theOpera di Santa Croce in Florence. From the restoration of Christ Meeting Veronica on the Way to Calvary, an altarpiece painted by Giorgio Vasari (Arezzo, 1511 - Florence, 1574) in 1572, the faces of Michelangelo, “disguised” as Nicodemus, and that of Rosso Fiorentino with the likeness of Giuseppe D’Arimatea, were allegedly uncovered, according to what was announced during the restoration preview. Michelangelo, in particular, is recognizable by his curly hair and distinctive nose profile.
The intervention will be shown to the public on Nov. 24, but a preview was already held on the 16th at the headquarters of the Opera di Santa Croce, in the presence of the Opera’s president, Irene Sanesi, Anna Mitrano of the Fondo edifici di culto(Fec) of the Ministry of the Interior (which holds ownership of the monumental complex of Santa Croce); Claudio Paolini, an official of the superintendence of Florence, Pistoia and Prato; Maria Teresa Castellano, the restorer who carried out the work; Paola Vojnovic, the Opera’s manager of fundraising projects; and American lawyer Donna Malin, the representative of donors from 13 countries around the world (but most are from the United States) who enabled the restoration of Michelangelo’s altarpiece and monumental tomb.

The restoration was carried out because of damage to the lower part of the painting from the time of the flood caused by the Arno in 1966, thus freeing it from an obscuring patina, from which the discovery would emerge, with the two portraits of Michelangelo and Rosso that, according to restorer Sally J. Cornelison, a professor at Syracuse University, would be hidden just behind the features of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.

“We are dealing with a work of the highest quality with a rich history to which, with the restoration, a new page is added,” Claudio Paolini pointed out. “The altarpiece, cured of the damage produced in the lower part by the 1966 flood and freed from a heavy obscuring patina, has rediscovered unexpected details such as the face of Michelangelo and Rosso Fiorentino, as well as a luminous overall balance. The obvious quotations from Michelangelo appear to be Vasari’s homage to that Michele Agnolo who is referred to in the Lives as the dear friend, the divine and wonderful artist.”

The restoration work, as mentioned, was conducted by Maria Teresa Castellano, as part of the project In the name of Michelangelo: this is a fundraising project that has been active since September 2017 (and ended just in November 2018), thanks to which the Opera raised 120 thousand euros for the restoration of the altarpiece and Michelangelo’s tomb (near which Vasari’s work is located: the discovery of Michelangelo’s portrait would confirm that the painting was part of the altar project). Donors include such entities as Morgan Stanley, the Florentine Chamber Orchestra, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology, and a long list of individual patrons from around the world, each of whom has contributed sums ranging from 10 euros to over 8,500.

Pictured: the portion of Christ meeting Veronica on the road to Calvary with the faces of Michelangelo and Rosso Fiorentino

Florence, portraits of Michelangelo and Rosso Fiorentino discovered in Giorgio Vasari's altarpiece?

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