A French auctioneer called to sift through an elderly woman's pile of junk was stunned to come across a rare painting from the Italian master Cimabue.
The discovery was made in June during a routine house clearance in the town of Compiègne, local media reported.
Philomène Wolf was evaluating the belongings of the homeowner, who intended to discard most of them, when she noticed the 13th-century painting hanging on the wall directly above the stove.
"The lady said she thought it had belonged to her family for a long time, but that it was just a religious icon," Wolf told French news agency AFP. "It could well have been destined for the bin."
Wolf suspected it was more significant than that, and advised the elderly homeowner to have it appraised, USA Today reported.
Using infrared light to analyze the painting, which measures about 8 inches by 11 inches, art experts confirmed that it was an original Cimabue work. Titled "Christ Mocked," It is part of a larger display depicting eight scenes from the Passion of the Christ.
The pre-Renaissance painter's art is considered to be extremely rare. Holly Flora, a professor of art history at Tulane University, explained that the number of his surviving panel paintings is small, with less than 10 accepted works existing.
"So this painting is a hugely important discovery for Cimabue's oeuvre," she said.
Art expert Stéphane Pinta added that this type of discovery was what the art community wakes up for every morning.
"Cimabue is the father of Western painting, the one who broke with the rules of Byzantine art, introducing the rudiments of expression and perspective," she said.
The piece of art, which could be valued between $4.4 and $6.6 million, is set to be auctioned at the Acteon auction house in Senlis, France, on Oct. 27.
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