Disputed Caravaggio Painting To Go on Display in Milan

In Milan, the public is getting a chance to weigh in on the authenticity of a disputed painting by a Renaissance master. The Caravaggio painting, called Judith Beheading Holofernes, will be on display at Milan’s public art gallery, the Pinacoteca di Brera, according to The Art Newspaper.

As part of an exhibit called "Caravaggio: A Question of Attribution," the painting will be placed next to the Caravaggio painting Supper at Emmaus, and a copy of his Magdalen in Ecstasy. Three paintings by Caravaggio’s follower Louis Finson, who some experts hold is the true author of the disputed painting, will also be shown. The exhibit has caused controversy among art experts, some of whom contend that it’s irresponsible for a gallery to display a work of disputed origins, thereby conferring a certain degree of authenticity simply by hanging in an authoritative art institution. However, the painting will have a disclaimer that the owner of the work has declared it a Caravaggio, not the gallery itself.

The painting in question was discovered in a French attic in 2014, and was presented to the public in April after cleaning and analysis. It had been hidden for at least 150 years. Regardless of its origins, France has declared it a national treasure.

The exhibit will run from November 10 to February 5, 2017.