The Italian culture ministry said
Monday it would bid for a suspected Leonardo sketch that a
French doctor found among the papers of his late father and
refused to sell to the Louvre, if the work is authenticated as
by the Renassance genius polymath.
The ministry said "we are following the news regarding the Study
for the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian with great attention, and it
will be the experts, in Italy we have some very authoritative
ones, who will say whether it is really by Leonardo and define
its value.
"Should the attribution of the drawing to the Italian genius be
confirmed and should the work really end up at auction, the
Ministry, through the competent bodies, will verify all possible
avenues, including the involvement of private individuals and
patrons, to make a well-considered and fair purchase offer and
allocate the work to a major Italian public museum".
Culture Undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi, one of Italy's top art
experts, said "that work mustn't be bought, it's mediocre and
not by Leonardo".
photo: Leonardo's most iconic sketch, Vitruvian Man
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