What if your attic hid a painting worth over $100 million?
That’s exactly what happened to one French family. While clearing out their attic in Toulouse, they uncovered a long-lost Caravaggio masterpiece—hidden behind old mattresses and forgotten furniture. The dramatic discovery revealed a 17th-century painting lost for centuries and brought one of art history’s most intense works back into the spotlight.
Now authenticated, Caravaggio’s Judith and Holofernes is poised to become one of the most valuable Old Master paintings ever sold.
A Dark Masterpiece Resurfaces
The family found the painting in 2014. Their home, passed down since 1871, had suffered water damage and even a burglary. Yet the painting—measuring nearly six feet wide—remained untouched behind clutter.
They had no idea it was a work by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, the Italian Baroque master known for dramatic lighting and an even more dramatic life.
The painting shows the biblical heroine Judith beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes. It’s a chilling moment, captured in Caravaggio’s signature chiaroscuro—the bold contrast between light and dark.
From Dust to Masterpiece
After the discovery, the family contacted local auctioneer Marc Labarbe, who brought in Eric Turquin, an Old Master expert based in Paris. Turquin immediately sensed the painting’s significance.
“Not only is it a Caravaggio,” Turquin said, “but of all the Caravaggios that are known today, this is one of the great pictures.”
In 2016, Nicola Spinosa, former director of the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, officially authenticated the piece. Despite spending centuries in a leaky attic, the painting was remarkably well-preserved.
Still, debate followed. Some art historians believe the painting might be a copy made by Louis Finson, a French artist and known associate of Caravaggio. Others suggest it could be the work of Artemisia Gentileschi, another master of dramatic biblical art.
But controversy and Caravaggio often go hand in hand.
Heading to Auction—and the History Books
Now, the painting heads to auction in Toulouse. Experts estimate it could sell for $113 to $170 million. If so, it would become one of the most expensive Old Masters ever sold.
That’s a dramatic rise from the last Caravaggio auctioned in 1998, which fetched just $145,500. The jump reflects the painting’s rarity, condition, and the weight of Caravaggio’s legacy.
A Legacy in Light and Shadow
Caravaggio’s impact on the art world is legendary. His raw emotion and realism inspired the Caravaggisti, a movement of artists who mimicked his intense style. He created just 68 known works in his lifetime. Only five are still privately owned.
With this rediscovery, Judith and Holofernes may become the sixth—or at least the most hotly debated.
In the end, a dusty attic in rural France reminded us of something powerful: history doesn’t disappear—it waits.
Don’t forget to tune in…
If you’ve enjoyed this article, there are also articles on a 12th-century Samurai sword found in the Attic of a shrine, and 200-year-old notes found in a school in Maine.
You can now tune in to the full audio version of this week’s blog on the Bells Books Blog Podcast, or it is now available on Amazon Music/Audible, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, iHeart Radio, JioSaavn, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, and Spreaker.
Thank you for joining me this week as I explore some a few historic finds in unlikely places!
If you’ve enjoyed this article, I encourage you to sign up for my weekly blog. When you do so you will get a free copy of Yesteryear’s Ruin, the prequel to my new Case 47 series.
Until next time, keep your curiosity alive and your imagination ignited— and as always, keep the past alive!
“Yesteryear’s Ruin” captures the essence of human resilience in the face of unimaginable loss. Through a narrative that weaves together love, despair, and the quest for redemption, this historical psychological thriller invites readers into a world where the past is not merely a memory, but a realm that may hold the key to our deepest desires and darkest fears.