France Blocks Export of Cimabue Masterpiece Found in Elderly Woman's Kitchen

France has blocked the export of a Cimabue painting discovered in an elderly woman's kitchen in Compiègne, near Paris, declaring it a national treasure. The work, 'Christ Mocked' (Cristo Deriso), was identified by expert Eric Turquin and sold at auction on October 27 for €24 million, a record for a medieval artwork. The buyer is believed to be Chilean collectors Álvaro Saieh and Ana Guzmán. Culture Minister Franck Riester stated the measure allows time to raise funds to keep the painting in France. The state has 30 months to acquire the piece, with plans to place it in the Louvre alongside Cimabue's 'Maestà'. The small tempera-on-gold panel (25.8 x 20.3 cm) dates to around 1280 and is part of a diptych depicting the Passion of Christ. Two other panels from the same work are held by the Frick Collection in New York and the National Gallery in London.