Unique work by Michelangelo on display in Bruges
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Loading... - Laura Berg
- 18 May 2022
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For 60 years, Baron Jean van Caloen collected whatever he could: from paintings to ivory figurines to cake tins. If Baron Van Caloen liked it, it ended up in the family castle at Loppem in West Flanders. He collected some 1,930 drawings. The manager of the Jean van Caloen Foundation Cédric van Caloen says that it is probable that his ancestor didn’t even know that the drawing now on display in Bruges is a Michelangelo.
The provenance of Michelangelo's drawing "The Stoning of Saint Stephen" remains unclear. Baron Van Caloen may have bought the work in 1930, together with other drawings, but it is not known from whom or where. It was not until 1994 that the drawing was recognised as a real Michelangelo and its value increased spectacularly.
About 600 drawings by Michelangelo have been preserved, but a composite drawing is rare. According to experts, the Michelangelo from Loppem is worth between 5 and 10 million euro.
Jean van Caloen died in 1972 and so almost certainly never knew that he had a Michelangelo in his collection. Read More...
