Lawyer buys painting at auction for few thousand euros, expert says it may be a Monet worth millions

A painting of a girl in pink holding a toy rabbit, purchased at auction for a few thousand euros by Piacenza lawyer and collector Carlo Romagnoli, may be an authentic Claude Monet worth millions. Art critic and expert Vladimir Cicognani of the Bologna Court and Chamber of Commerce stated the work is likely by Monet, dating to around 1910, and valued at several million euros. The painting, measuring 104 x 74.5 cm, bears a signature at lower left. However, Undersecretary of State for Culture Vittorio Sgarbi disagrees, saying it has nothing to do with Monet and was probably painted around 1940. Romagnoli, who previously discovered an anonymous portrait by Amedeo Modigliani after ten years of study, bought the work at a Milan auction house. He believes the pictorial structure and fluidity of colors are attributable to Monet, noting that while Monet is known for landscapes, he also painted portraits such as 'Child with a Cup' (his son Jean) and 'Portrait of a Little Girl' (his daughter). The painting is not recorded in Monet's catalogues.