A long-lost Caravaggio masterpiece that the Renaissance master had with him when he died has been discovered in a private collection, a leading expert on the artist has claimed.
Mary Magdalen in Ecstasy has been copied at least eight times since its completion in 1606, shortly after the baroque master escaped from Rome following his conviction for murder.
But Caravaggio scholar, Mina Gregori, said she was certain she had found the original after studying the variations in light and colour on Mary's hands and face.
Caravaggio's 1606 masterpiece, Mary Magdalen in Ecstasy, is believed to have been discovered in a private collection in Europe, an expert has claimed
The discovery of a handwritten note attached to the back of the painting, attributing it to Caravaggio, was further proof.
She told The Telegraph: 'It's magnificent. I knew it right away as soon as I saw it,'
'I had an immediate, instinctive reaction. They laid it down on the floor, I got down on my knees, and when I saw her hands, I said, 'yes, that's it. It's her.'
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ShareThe emeritus professor at the University of Florence said key characteristics of the painting left no doubts in her mind regarding its provenance.
'The creation of a body with varying tones, the intensity of the face. The strong wrists, crossed fingers and beautiful hair... the wonderful variations in light and colour - all show that it is Caravaggio,' she said.
Caravaggio (left), portrait by Ottavio Leoni, was a prolific painter and his early work included 'Boy with a Basket of Fruit' (right), 'The Young Bacchus' and 'The Music Party'
Caravaggio scholar, Mina Gregori, said she was certain she had found the original after studying the variations in light and colour seen in his other works, such as St Jerome (pictured)
Other important clues were the Vatican customs stamp on the canvas that was only used in the 17th century and the note which said: 'the reclined Magdalene of Caravaggio'.
Professor Gregori did not name the owners of the 100cm by 90cm canvas, saying they did not want publicity.
'I don't know if they will exhibit it,' she said. 'I think they will keep it in their home and enjoy it. After all, if it is sitting in a bank somewhere, no one gets to enjoy it.'
She called the find a 'marvellous addition' to the art world and said gazing upon the original was a career highlight.
David with Head of Goliath, 1607, is one of Caravaggio's best-known paintings and exemplifies his fiery style
The existence of a version known as the 'Klein Magdalena' in Rome, which some experts have described as authentic, is likely to spark further controversy.
Ms Gregori told The Independent she was pressing the owners of the version she authenticated to make it available for some sort of public display.
'Even by Caravaggio's standards this is a beautiful and revolutionary painting,' she said.
'The ultimate goal is that everyone should have the opportunity to see it. But for now all I can say is that it's in Europe.'
John Gash, a senior lecturer on art history at the University of Aberdeen, who is also an expert on the Italian painter, suggested exercising extreme caution.
Caravaggio's violence finally erupted with force in 1606, when he killed a well-known Roman pimp named Ranuccio Tomassoni, pictured is one segment from artist's Seven Works of Mercy
Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio is believed to have had his Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy with him when he died in 1610, pictured is another segment from his Seven Works of Mercy
'There are many versions of a presumed lost original of this subject by Caravaggio, none of which so far qualify as autograph,' he wrote in an email. 'This might be it, but without seeing the original painting, I would suggest extreme caution.'
The painting refers to the legend in which Mary of Magdala moved to southern France, where she lived as a hermit in a cave at Sainte-Baume near Aix-en-Provence.
There she was transported seven times a day by angels into the presence of God, 'where she heard, with her bodily ears, the delightful harmonies of the celestial choirs'.
Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio is believed to have had his Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy with him in the Tuscan town of Porto Ercole where he died in 1610.
The painting is thought to have been subsequently transported to Naples, where a Flemish artist, Louis Finson, made a copy of it which is now in the French city of Marseille.
MICHELANGELO MERISI DE CARAVAGGIO: A FATHER OF MODERN PAINTING
The Martyrdom of St Matthew, by Michelangelo Merisi known as Caravaggio, thought to have been painted around 1599
Italian artist Caravaggio was born Michelangelo Merisi in Milan around 1571.
He was orphaned at the age 11 and trained as a painter under Simone Peterzano who had been taught by Titian.
In his twenties Caravaggio moved to Rome and his work became popular for the tenebrism technique he used, which used shadow to emphasise lighter areas.
He was awarded the commission for the decoration of the Contarelli Chapel in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in 1597.
It was an important and daunting assignment, charging the 26-year-old painter with the task of creating three large paintings depicting separate scenes from St. Matthew's life.
After this he never lacked commissions or patrons, but he became increasingly unstable.
He was jailed on several occasions, vandalised his own apartment, and ultimately had a death warrant issued for him by the Pope.
A prolific painter, Caravaggio was known to work quickly, often starting and completing a painting in just two weeks.
By the time he had come under the influence of del Monte, Caravaggio already had 40 works to his name, including 'Boy with a Basket of Fruit', 'The Young Bacchus' and 'The Music Party'.
His fiery masterpieces, 'The Death of the Virgin' and 'David with the Head of Goliath', inspired a generation of artists.
Caravaggio's violence finally erupted with force in 1606, when he killed a well-known Roman pimp named Ranuccio Tomassoni.
He was thought to have painted the Magdalen in 1606, shortly after fleeing Rome following his conviction for murder.
It was during his return to the city in search of a papal pardon, carrying with him the painting, that he was believed to have become ill with fever, and died in Tuscany in 1610.
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