game”Relax on a flight to Egypt“, his first work Titian A piece that Napoleon took as loot and later stole in the 1990s until it was found at a bus stop in London is to be auctioned next month with an estimated price of up to €30 million.
The painting, which Christie’s auction house said was on the market for the first time in nearly 145 years, depicts Mary holding the baby Jesus, who sits next to a resting Joseph before leaving for Egypt.
«It was painted around 1510, when Titian was about 20 years old, and represents the moment of ignition in which the artist caused a true revolution, bringing an unprecedented naturalism to religious painting.Henry Pettifer, International Vice President of Christie’s Antiques Department, told Reuters.
«It is incredibly rare for a painting of this importance to come to auction… Titian has very few important works in private hands.“.
His touching story:
The painting was looted by Napoleon’s troops in Vienna in 1809. It was auctioned by Christie’s in 1878. 4th Marquess of BathLongleat House, which took him to his home.
It was stolen from there in 1995 and, after a £100,000 (€118,000) reward was offered, was found by an art detective seven years later in an unframed bag at a bus stop in south-west London.