Art historians confirm sculpture is the work of the Renaissance master.
Experts have formally attributed a marble bust of Christ the Saviour in a Rome church to Michelangelo Buonarroti, in a revelation of global significance for the art world.
The announcement on Wednesday follows extensive historical research and technical analysis that has lifted the veil on the true provenance of the sculpture in the Basilica of Sant’Agnese fuori le Mura.
The findings, the result of a decade of archival research into wills, diaries and inventories dating back to 1564, challenge the long-held belief that the artist destroyed his final sketches and sculptures.
The research, presented by independent researcher Valentina Salerno, suggests that rather than destroying his portfolio, Michelangelo took measures to safeguard his works, entrusting them to a loyal inner circle.
The marble work had remained in the Roman basilica on Via Nomentana for centuries, largely overlooked or regarded as a high-quality copy.
However scholars, led by Salerno, have now identified the piece as a mature work by Michelangelo, linking it to his late devotional style and noting its profound anatomical precision and emotional depth.
The attribution is bolstered by a significant discovery: a Michelangelo drawing that sold at Christie’s London last month possesses a provenance that aligns perfectly with the Roman bust.
Salerno’s findings were supported by an international scientific committee of leading Michelangelo scholars, established in collaboration with the congregation of the Canonici Regolari Lateranensi del Santissimo Salvatore, custodians of the Roman basilica.
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