An important Renaissance work attributed to the bottega of Sandro Botticelli will be the star of the upcoming Pandolfini auction in Florence, scheduled for October 29 at Palazzo Ramirez Montalvo.
It is the Deposition of Christ in the Tomb with Saints and Holy Women, a tempera and oil on panel with an initial estimate between 100,000 and 150,000 euros, destined to attract the attention of collectors and museum institutions worldwide.
Botticelli: exceptional discovery in the collection of a Milanese home
The panel was discovered by scholar Nicolò Pitto, who recognized its quality among the lots of a private Milanese collection.
According to Pitto, “the extraordinary and typically Botticellian execution” and “the spiritual subject” refer to the last years of the Florentine master, marked by the influence of the religious fervor promoted by Savonarola.
This phase of Botticelli’s career is distinguished by a more severe and mystical painting, characteristics also evident in the Deposition of Christ.
An autonomous and unpublished work in the international panorama
The art historian Marco Riccòmini defines the panel as “a unicum in the international panorama,” an autonomous and refined work, conceived and created in the bottega of Botticelli in the 1490s.
Not intended to be part of an altarpiece, the composition includes three Franciscan saints, including Saint Francis and Saint Anthony of Padua, a detail that suggests a commission linked to the Franciscan Order.
The last figure on the right, probably Saint Monica, is the only one looking towards the viewer and could represent the portrait of the commissioner herself.
Contributions and confirmations from international experts before the auction
The attribution to the bottega of Sandro Botticelli has been confirmed by important scholars: Christopher Daly, curator of the Robert Lehman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and art historian Nicoletta Pons.
The work also belonged to the collector Vittorio Cini (1885-1977) and is documented in the photo library of Federico Zeri in Bologna with the same attribution, as well as in that of Bernard Berenson at the Harvard Center for Italian Renaissance Studies.
On display in Milan and soon to be auctioned in Florence
Before the auction, the panel is exhibited in Milan at the Pandolfini headquarters in Via Manzoni until October 18. Subsequently, it will be transferred to Florence for the auction on October 29.
According to the auction house, interest from Anglo-Saxon markets and international museum institutions is already very high, confirming the value and enduring appeal of the Italian Renaissance.
The Renaissance returns to the forefront at auctions
The upcoming Pandolfini auction in Florence represents a significant event for the ancient art market. A work of this importance, linked to the bottega of Botticelli, offers a rare glimpse into the spiritual and artistic evolution of the Florentine master.
The rediscovery of the Deposition of Christ in the Tomb with Saints and Holy Women demonstrates how, even today, the Italian Renaissance continues to fascinate collectors and international museums, keeping alive the competition between public and private for the possession of timeless masterpieces.
It remains to be seen who will win the panel on October 29 and whether this precious testimony of Botticellian art will return to Italian hands or take the path abroad.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
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