The painting was recently purchased by the Italian government at an auction in New York, but the question of where it will be displayed has sparked heated debate, write The Guardian.
On 28 December 1908, the city of Messina suffered one of the worst natural disasters in modern European history. The 7,1-magnitude earthquake lasted only 37 seconds, but it killed about half the population and destroyed the historic centre. Along with houses, churches and palaces, priceless archives and works of art were lost, including those of the city's most famous native, Antonello da Messina.
Ruins of Messina Cathedral after the earthquake of December 28, 1908. Photo: DEA / Biblioteca Ambrosiana / De Agostini / Getty Images
A masterpiece for $14,9 million
Last week, the Italian government bought a painting at Sotheby's auction house Ecce Homo for approximately $14,9 million. A small double-sided panel (19,5 × 14 cm), executed in tempera and oil around 1460, depicts Christ in a crown of thorns, and on the reverse - Saint Jerome against the backdrop of a rocky landscape.
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli called the work "unique in the context of 15th-century Italian art" and an important step in strengthening the national cultural heritage. However, he did not specify where the painting would be exhibited.
Possible locations include the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan and the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. According to Italian media, the work could join the collection of the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples.
The search for people buried under the rubble after the earthquake. Photo: DEA / Biblioteca Ambrosiana / De Agostini / Getty Images
However, Messina itself, the city where the artist was born, is missing from the list of contenders.
"This is an act of historical justice"
Local art historians and politicians insist that the return Ecce Homo to Messina would be a symbolic act of restoring historical memory, partially lost after the 1908 disaster.
According to art historian Valentina Cherto, the return of the painting would help "stitch together a fragment of the historical identity of the city," which survived the devastating earthquakes of 1783 and 1908.
Illustrator and art researcher Lelio Bonacorso recalls that Antonello da Messina is considered one of the innovators of the Renaissance and one of the first to introduce the oil painting technique in Italy, borrowed from the Flemish tradition. It was this technique that made it possible to achieve softness of forms and subtle chiaroscuro transitions.
Today, less than 40 surviving works by the master are known.
The debate between Rome and Sicily
Following the purchase of the painting, Sicilian regional parliament member Fabio Venezia called on local authorities to seek the return of the work to the island. Regional cultural assessor Francesco Scarpinato confirmed that consultations had already begun with the ministry, which would make the final decision.
Saint Jerome is depicted on the back of the painting Ecce Homo by Italian master Antonello da Messina, which the Italian government says was purchased for the state collection. Photo: Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism / Reuters
In Sicily, criticism of Rome is growing louder, as local figures say it has been neglecting the island's cultural potential for years.
"The return of this work would mean restoring its historical and geographical context. It is a way to begin to heal the wound of Sicily's dispersed artistic heritage," Venice emphasizes.
Earlier we reported that Sotheby's to auction nearly 2000-year-old Fayum portrait with an unexpectedly modern style of painting.
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