Antonello da Messina's Ecce Homo sparks debate over museum placement in Italy
The recent purchase of Antonello da Messina's Ecce Homo by the Italian government for $14.9 million at Sotheby's has ignited discussions regarding its eventual location. This 19.5×14 cm panel, created in the early 1460s, is the inaugural piece in the Ecce Homo series, showcasing a penitent Saint Jerome on its reverse side. Eike Schmidt, director of the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, has emerged as a strong proponent for housing the artwork there, with Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli endorsing Naples as the 'capital of Mediterranean culture' for 2025. Meanwhile, art historian Tomaso Montanari advocates for the Uffizi in Florence, and Sicily’s regional deputy Fabio Venezia, along with assessor Francesco Scarpinato, is pushing for a Sicilian museum, specifically Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo.
Key facts
- Italian state acquired Antonello da Messina's Ecce Homo at Sotheby's for $14.9 million.
- The panel measures 19.5×14 cm and dates to the early 1460s.
- It is the first of Antonello's Ecce Homo series and has a Saint Jerome on the reverse.
- Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, directed by Eike Schmidt, is a leading candidate.
- Capodimonte has no Antonello works but holds Colantonio's San Girolamo nello studio.
- Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has promoted Naples as 'capital of Mediterranean culture'.
- Art historian Tomaso Montanari supports placing the work at the Uffizi in Florence.
- Sicily's regional deputy Fabio Venezia and assessor Francesco Scarpinato seek the work for Sicily.
- Museo regionale 'Accascina' in Messina owns two Antonellos but has low attendance.
- Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo, designed by Carlo Scarpa, holds Antonello's Annunciata.
- Federico Zeri authenticated the work in 1985, describing its expression as 'mafioso'.
Entities
Artists
- Antonello da Messina
- Colantonio
- Caravaggio
- Federico Zeri
- Tomaso Montanari
- Eike Schmidt
- Alessandro Giuli
- Fabio Venezia
- Francesco Scarpinato
- Carlo Scarpa
- Maria Accascina
- Fabio Granata
- Antonio de Saliba
- Jacopo de' Barbari
- Jacometto Veneziano
- Alessandro Angelini
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- Museo di Capodimonte
- Uffizi
- Museo regionale Accascina
- Palazzo Abatellis
- Galleria Salamon
- Christie's
- National Gallery London
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Galleria di Palazzo Spinola
- Collegio Alberoni
- Louvre
- Castello Sforzesco
- Partito Democratico
- Regione Lombardia
- Regione Sicilia
- UNESCO
- G7 Cultura
Locations
- Naples
- Italy
- New York
- Florence
- Messina
- Sicily
- Palermo
- Genoa
- Piacenza
- Poland
- Paris
- Lombardy
- Campania
- Pompei
- Castel Capuano
- Sardinia
- Malta
- Siracusa
- Dresden
- London