Discover the incredible journey of a Titian masterpiece, “The Rest on the Flight into Egypt,” stolen in 1995 from a British marquess’s home and miraculously found seven years later in a plastic bag at a London bus stop by an art detective. This stunning Renaissance painting, known for its vivid colors and biblical theme, depicts Mary, Joseph, and Jesus escaping to Egypt. After its recovery, the artwork has just shattered records, selling for over $22 million at Christie’s auction house. From Napolean’s troops to a bus stop in London, this painting’s tale of loss, rediscovery, and triumphant sale captivates art enthusiasts worldwide.
As reported by The Washington Post, an early Titian masterpiece, originally looted by Napoleon’s armies and held in royal collections for generations, caused a stir when it was stolen from the residence of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, an art detective discovered it inside a plain white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London and returned it.
This week, Christie’s sold the oil painting “The Rest on the Flight into Egypt” for more than $22 million. It set a record for the Renaissance artist, regarded by museums as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Before the sale in April, the auction house described it as “the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.”
“This result is a tribute to the impeccable provenance and quiet beauty of this sublime early masterpiece by Titian, which is one of the most poetic products of the artist’s youth,” said Orlando Rock, chairman of Christie’s UK, in a statement.
According to the auction company, the little canvas, measuring 18 1/4 by 24 3/4 inches, was painted about 1510.
It is based on a biblical story in which Joseph brought Mary and an infant Jesus to Egypt after a dream informed him that King Herod intended to kill his son, according to Christie’s. In the picture, Mary is cradling Jesus while Joseph looks on in a rural environment.
The colors are bright and vibrant, with primary hues dominating, such as Mary’s deep red robe and ultramarine-blue cloak.
Titian is well-known for his use of the “colorito” style, in which color is used primarily for sensual expression and as a compositional element. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he rose to international prominence with his religious paintings, incisive portraits, and poetic depictions of legendary subjects.
According to London’s National Gallery, Titian was born Tiziano Vecellio in a tiny village in the Dolomite highlands and arrived in Venice when he was 10 years old. Titian’s work on the facade of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi on the Venetian Grand Canal brought him early fame, according to the museum, and he went on to become the primary painter at the court of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He perished from the plague in 1576.
“The Rest on the Flight into Egypt” has received attention for its origins as well as its record price.
While it is unclear who commissioned the picture, it was originally documented as part of a Venetian spice merchant’s collection in the early decades of the 17th century, according to Christie’s.
According to the auction company, the picture changed hands several times throughout the centuries, including an English duke and Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, and was seized from Vienna by Napoleon’s army before returning to the city after his defeat. In the end, John Alexander Thynne, the 4th Marquess of Bath, purchased it in 1878.
Nonetheless, the painting’s dramatic plot continued to unfold. It was stolen in 1995 from Thynne’s home in Wiltshire, southwest England, and miraculously found in 2002 after a $127,000 reward was announced, Christie’s stated in April, ahead of the sale. According to the report, Charles Hill, a well-known art detective, discovered it at a London bus stop in a suitcase without its frame.
“This picture has captured the imaginations of audiences for more than half a millennia and will no doubt continue to do so,” Rock from the auction house said in a statement after the sale.
Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that $80 million worth of stolen Italian artifacts, recovered from New York and New Jersey by prosecutor Col. Matthew Bogdanos, were displayed in Rome, showcasing the ongoing efforts against art trafficking led by Italy’s Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection unit.
