A painting discovered in a Loire Valley church over a decade ago has been authenticated as a Renaissance artwork from the studio of Sandro Botticelli. Initially thought to be a 19th-century reproduction, the artwork was found in the church of Saint-Felix in Champigny-en-Beauce by Matteo Gianeselli, director of France’s National Renaissance Museum, in 2010.
Recent tests by the museum’s Center for Research and Restoration, including microsampling and X-ray analysis, revealed that the painting dates back to around 1510—just after Botticelli’s death that same year. While it’s challenging to ascertain Botticelli’s direct influence, the painting exhibits hallmark features of the Renaissance era, such as the use of tempera and oils, a double gesso layer, and specific pigments, including zinc and glass particles.
This replica, depicting the Madonna, Christ Child, and St. John the Baptist, will be displayed alongside Botticelli’s original in the exhibition “Botticelli: Two Madonnas of Chambord” at the Chapel of Chambord from October 19 to January 19, 2025. Afterward, it will return to Chambord before potentially being transferred to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, where the original is housed. The painting’s future return to the Church of Saint-Felix remains uncertain.
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