Caravaggio's Judith and Holofernes Found in Toulouse Attic

A painting discovered in 2014 in the attic of a house near Toulouse, France, after a water leak, has been attributed to Caravaggio. The work, depicting Judith beheading Holofernes, was presented at Cabinet Turquin in Paris. Auctioneer Marc Labarbe brought it to expert Eric Turquin for authentication. The painting is believed to be mentioned in a 1607 letter by agent Ottavio Gentile to Vincenzo Gonzaga, alongside Caravaggio's Madonna of the Rosary (now at Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna). It also appears in the 1617 will of Louis Finson, who made a copy now in the Intesa Sanpaolo collection in Naples. Radiography reveals rapid execution and pentimenti in Holofernes' right hand and Judith's face. Valued at €120 million, the French government classified it as a "Trésor National," blocking export for at least two and a half years, likely to allow time for a domestic buyer.