Caravaggio stuck in bankrupt Italian Bank
February 9 2022
Picture: The Times
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Times have reported the curious news that a version of Caravaggio's The Crowing with Thorns is stuck in a dispute regarding the recently bankrupt Banca Popolare di Vicenza. The picture, along with 100 other works, is part of the bank's collection of art. A judge has ruled that the works should be sold to repay customers. However, the ruling has also required that the paintings should not leave the bank's office and be kept in tact.
To quote from the article:
A court has ordered an asset sale to help settle their claims that includes the bank’s art collection, featuring works by Tiepolo, Bellini and Tintoretto, as well as by the 17th-century chiaroscuro master Caravaggio.
“The Crowning of Thorns could alone be worth more than €500 million and the value of the entire collection, which contains some of Italy’s most renowned artists, is huge,” said Gloria Gatti, an art lawyer and contributor to the Italian art publication Giornale dell’Arte.
“It is unlikely anyone will want to pay the market price if they cannot enjoy it,” Gatti said.
