A Renaissance painting by Antonio Solario, stolen in 1973, has been recovered after 50 years. The painting, 'Madonna With Child,' was stolen from a museum in Italy and resurfaced at an art sale in the UK. The artwork was put up for auction by Barbara de Dozsa, who inherited it from her husband who had acquired it unknowingly. Initially, De Dozsa considered keeping the painting based on UK law, but later decided to return it after intervention from Art Recovery International. The painting is a tempera on wood and was originally kept in the Civic Museum of Belluno, Italy.
5 months ago
A Renaissance painting, "Madonna With Child" by Venetian master Antonio Solario, has been returned to Italy after being stolen over 50 years ago 1. The artwork, which disappeared from a museum in 1973, was recently repatriated following its reappearance at an art sale in the United Kingdom 1.
Antonio Solario, known also as Lo Zingaro, was an Italian Renaissance painter active in the early 1500s 1. His "Madonna With Child" is a tempera on wood painting depicting a pensive Madonna with the Christ Child, set against a background reminiscent of Leonardo’s "Virgin of the Rocks" 1. The artwork was stolen from the Civic Museum of Belluno, Italy, in 1973, alongside other pieces, and subsequently listed on international stolen art databases maintained by Interpol and the Carabinieri 1.
The long-lost painting resurfaced at a UK art auction where Barbara de Dozsa had put it up for sale, having inherited it from her deceased husband 1. Her husband had acquired the painting in good faith from an Austrian art dealer in 1973, unaware of its illicit origins 1. Upon its listing, Italian authorities and Interpol identified the painting as stolen 1.
Initially, De Dozsa considered invoking a UK law, the Limitations Act, which could allow an owner to keep a stolen artwork if the purchase was unconnected to the theft and occurred more than six years prior 1. However, Christopher A. Marinello, an art lawyer and founder of Art Recovery International (ARI), intervened 1. Marinello explained that despite potential UK legal support, the painting's presence on international stolen art databases meant it could never be legitimately sold, exhibited, or transported without risk of seizure 1. After "soul-searching" and Marinello's persistence, De Dozsa decided that returning the painting was "the right thing to do" 1.
The return of "Madonna With Child" was met with an emotional ceremony attended by Belluno officials and museum employees 1. Oscar De Pellegrin, the Mayor of Belluno, emphasized that giving the painting back to the city restores "a fragment of its identity, its history and its soul" 1. The artwork is now officially on display at Belluno’s Civic Museum 1. Marinello praised De Dozsa's decision, stating it "restored his faith in people who unknowingly come into possession of stolen or looted works of art" 1.
What is the Church's teaching on cultural heritage?
The Catholic Church views cultural heritage as an integral and significant component of its mission of evangelization and human advancement . This heritage encompasses various forms, including churches, monuments, museums, archives, and libraries .
The Church is dedicated to preserving its artistic and cultural heritage through various interventions to ensure its full utilization . This preservation is seen as a service to humanity and a contemporary task to forge new connections between faith and cultures . By rediscovering values lived by past generations, people can live them anew and advance towards their encounter with the Lord .
The Church recognizes a persistent fascination with beauty, which indicates an aspiration for "something intangible" that can reveal the magic and mystery in and beyond things . Christian art, throughout centuries, magnificently illustrates this, with every true work of art potentially serving as a gateway to religious experience . The Church respects all artists, regardless of their religious convictions, because works of art bear an imprint of the invisible . Art, like all human activity, is directed towards the ultimate goal of the human person . Christian artists offer extraordinary potential for expressing new formulas and defining new symbols through liturgical genius, drawing from centuries of Catholic imagery to convey the omnipresence of grace . Supporting Christian artists is an effective way to reach many people who might otherwise have no contact with Christ's message .
The Catholic Church's rich cultural heritage, encompassing its cultural assets, demonstrates a fruitful symbiosis of culture and faith . It is an inexhaustible source of beauty and a permanent resource for cultural education that also serves as genuine catechesis, uniting the truth of faith with the beauty of art . These cultic and cultural treasures, as fruits of a community living its faith intensely, should not be viewed solely in cultural terms, as their deeper meaning would be lost; they can be a true inspiration for humanity .