Statue Found At Garden Sale Turns Out To Be Lost Canova Sculpture Worth Millions

A white marble statue of a young woman, which had been bought 20 years ago for just £5,200 (US$7,540) at a garden sale in Sussex, England, has been discovered to actually be a long-lost Canova sculpture. 

Now, in an upcoming sale at Christie’s London, the piece is estimated to fetch a whopping £5 million to £8 million (US$6.5 million to US$10.5 million).

According to Christie’s, it’s believed the piece—depicting Mary Magdalene in a state of ecstacy—was completed shortly before the artist’s death in 1822, and had long been thought to be lost to history. 

Interestingly, the work is said to have been commissioned by the Lord Liverpool, Prime Minister of England at the time, adding to the prestige of this rare neo-classical sculpture. 

“This work has been searched for by scholars for decades, so the discovery is of fundamental importance for the history of collecting and the history of art,” said Canova scholar Mario Guderzo, as per the Art Newspaper. 

As per Artnet News, though the statue was “lost” for a long time, it remains in relatively good condition, apart from the crucifix on Magdalene’s shoulder which has been eroded. 

The sculpture will travel to Christie’s showrooms in New York and Hong Kong on exhibition before it heads back to London for the sale on July 7.

[via Artnet News and Christie’s, images via Christie’s]