The statue was considered anonymous and cataloged as a “sculptural bust of an anonymous artist of the 16th century Roman school”
The bust of Christ the Savior in the Basilica of Saint Agnes Outside the Walls, in Rome, whose author was previously unknown, is one of Michelangelo’s works that was believed to be lost, according to an investigation.
The work of researcher Valentina Salerno allowed the attribution of at least 20 works to the Renaissance artist.
One such work is this bust, according to Salerno, who presented his discovery on Wednesday at a press conference in Rome.
The researcher described, based on documents, the history of the work and stated that experts will now need to verify their findings.
The statue was considered anonymous and cataloged as a “sculptural bust of an anonymous artist of the 16th century Roman school”.
Among other documents, Salerno presented wills, correspondence, diaries, reports, notarial inventories and fraternity records from 1564 to the present day, as well as sketches by Michelangelo, to argue that the bust created in 1534, which depicts Tommaso dei Cavalieri, a close friend of the artist, was transferred from Buonarroti’s house to the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone after his death.
Initially, the bust was kept in a closed chapel and, later, placed in the Basilica.
This piece is one of 20 works that the author managed to reassign in her study “Michelangelo: The Last Days”, which lasted more than 10 years and was made possible thanks to the assistance of the Order of Regular Lateran Canons, who administer the Church.
For centuries, it was believed that the artist had destroyed hundreds of sketches, drawings and sculptures that he kept in his home.
However, according to Salerno’s investigation, Michelangelo did not destroy the statues, but rather devised a plan before his death to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands, entrusting them to his closest friends.
Another element that reinforces this reconstruction is that during a Christie’s auction in London, in February, a drawing of a foot attributed to Michelangelo emerged, with a provenance that coincides with that of the Roman bust.
This coincidence, according to scholars, would solidify the entire chain of documentation.
Awaiting acceptance by the scientific community, which would add it to Michelangelo’s later works, the bust will remain in its current location.
