Modigliani painting discovered in Rome trash faces authenticity questions

A damaged painting attributed to Amedeo Modigliani, found a decade ago in a garbage pile in La Rustica, a peripheral Rome neighborhood, is being promoted by art critic Alberto D'Atanasio. The work, titled 'Odette,' bears Modigliani's signature and style, but lacks provenance documentation. D'Atanasio claims chemical analysis confirms the support and pigments date to 1917-1918, yet a panel of French scholars refused to examine it. The painting is set for public exhibition in late June, though the venue remains undisclosed. The case echoes the 1984 Livorno stone heads hoax, where sculptures later proved fake. Modigliani had no known ties to Rome, and the work's sudden emergence raises skepticism among experts.