A rare Renaissance panel found above a stove in a French house and acquired by the Louvre.

In 2019, the rarest gold panel painting by medieval Italian master Cimabue, "The Mocking of Christ," was found above the stove in the kitchen of an elderly French woman. After it was offered at an auction in northern Paris in October that year, it was hotly traded, exceeding its estimate and selling for a staggering 24.2 million euros ($26.8 million) including commission.

The painting was acquired by a foreign buyer, presumably the Alana Collection of Italian "primitive" paintings in Delaware, which is privately owned by Alvaro Saie and Ana Guzman. Shortly thereafter, the French Ministry of Culture declared the painting The Mocking of Christ (c. 1280) a 'national treasure' and imposed a ban''for export for 30 months. This gave enough time for the Louvre in Paris to raise the 24 million euros needed to equal the winning bid and acquire the work.

The Louvre's director Laurence de Carre announced in a statement that the work 'represents an important stage in the history of art, marking an exciting transition from icon to painting'. He confirmed that it will soon be exhibited alongside "Maesta," a larger tempera painting by Cimabue that also dates from around 1280 and is currently being restored. This painting has been in the museum's collection since 1813 and was stolen from Italy during the Napoleonic era.

Unbelievable, a valuable 700-year-old panel found in an elderly French woman's kitchen is a lost piece''an altarpiece depicting eight scenes from the Passion of Christ.

It has also been announced that the Louvre has recently acquired a drawing of "Marine Terrace" (1855) by 19th century French Romantic writer and politician Victor Hugo. A statement from Louis-Antoine Prat, president of the Society of Friends of the Louvre, said the work would join eight other drawings already in the collection''museum. "This unrivaled work bears witness to the century's longest romance - between Victor Hugo and Juliette Drouet - as the initials of the two lovers intertwine in the background," he added, alluding to Hugo's long relationship with the French actress.

The paintings "The Mocking of Christ" by Cimabue and "Marine Terrace" by Hugo were acquired thanks to a group of museum patrons, special support from American real estatedeveloper and philanthropist Harry Fath and his wife Linda, and from the proceeds of brand licenses for the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The paintings will be presented to the public in a special exhibition scheduled for early 2025.