by Redazione 03/11/2026

After spending a long time in a private collection, *The Entombment of Christ* was identified as a work by Giorgio Vasari by Carlo Falciani. The panel, offered by Il Ponte in Milan, fetched a price well above the initial estimate: it sold for 588,800 euros.

A painting by Giorgio Vasari that had long been out of the public eye has returned to the spotlight after selling for 588,800 euros— more than double the initial estimate. The work is*The Carrying of Christ to the Tomb*, an oil on panel measuring 159 by 185 centimeters, painted around the mid-1540s and formerly part of a private collection in Lombardy. The work was sold by the Il Ponte auction house in Milan, with an initial estimate ranging from 200,000 to 250,000 euros. The final bid represents the highest result recorded so far this year by the Milanese auction house and makes the painting the top lot of the “Antique Furniture and Paintings” sale.

The panel, which had been kept in a private residence for decades, was attributed to the Arezzo-born painter by Carlo Falciani, who confirmed its authorship after a direct examination. The scholar also authored a scholarly essay in which he traces the connections between the painting and other works by Vasari, while also highlighting an unusual painting technique.

Giorgio Vasari, The Deposition of Christ (1540s; oil on panel, 159 x 185 cm)

The rediscovery of this work is particularly significant for the painter’s catalog, although several questions regarding its history remain. At present, in fact, no documents have come to light that would allow us to identify the patron or to precisely place the painting within Vasari’s biography. The panel also shows signs of restoration, elements that, according to Falciani, do not diminish its importance for understanding the artist’s work.

A further development occurred on October 19, when the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Milan announced the initiation of proceedings to declare the work of particularly important artistic and historical significance. The Carrying of Christ to the Tomb thus stands as a significant addition to Giorgio Vasari’s body of work: a painting that remained in a private collection for a long time and has now been brought back to the attention of the art market and art-historical scholarship.

Giorgio Vasari: A Rediscovered Painting Sold at Auction for 588,800 euros—More Than Double the Estimate

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