After more than half a century of absence from the market, The Thebaid attributed to Fra Angelico is back in the news, once again gaining attention on the market. The painting, which disappeared from circulation since the 1970s but was always considered of great importance by scholars, was sold at auction on May 20 in Florence by the Pandolfini auction house, during the sale dedicated to Old Master Paintings. It was sold for the sum of 360,000 euros to a private individual.
The work, made in tempera on panel and later transferred to canvas, measures 68.5 x 56 centimeters. The initial estimate ranged between 150 thousand and 250 thousand euros, but the interest aroused by the painting went far beyond its mere commercial value. Indeed, its importance derives mainly from the historical, artistic and critical weight that has always accompanied this work.
For La Tebaide, on May 15, 2026, the Pandolfini auction house had also been notified of the start of the administrative procedure for the declaration of particularly important interest, pursuant to Article 10 paragraph 3 letter A and Article 13 paragraph 1 of Legislative Decree 42/04.
The work had last appeared publicly in 1970 at a sale organized at the Palazzo Internazionale delle Aste ed Esposizioni in Florence. After that event, traces of the work had been lost, and its existence continued to be documented only by black-and-white photographs and the contributions of art critics, who over the years, with some exceptions, have consistently recognized it as a work by Angelico.
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| A private individual wins La Tebaide for 360,000 euros: sold at auction by Pandolfini |
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