Why a Masterpiece Missing for 11 Years Ended Up in the Hands of the Deputy Minister of Culture... Chaos in Italy

Rutilio Manetti Work Stolen in 2013
Unreleased Piece Revealed in 2021 Exhibition
Suspicions of Alteration to Conceal Source

Italy's Deputy Minister of Culture has been embroiled in allegations that he modified parts of a stolen painting to conceal its origins after acquiring it. On the 9th (local time), Italy's ANSA news agency reported that Vittorio Sgarbi, Italy's Deputy Minister of Culture, is under investigation by prosecutors for illegally obtaining a painting stolen in 2013 from Buriasco Castle in northern Italy's Turin and subsequently altering parts of the painting to hide its provenance.

The disputed artwork is "The Capture of Saint Peter," painted by Italian artist Rutilio Manetti (1571?1639). At the time of the theft, the thief removed the painting from its frame and fled. Sgarbi, an art historian and former art critic, exhibited the painting in 2021 at the exhibition "Painters of Light: From Caravaggio to Paolini," claiming it was an unpublished work he owned.

Separate from the charges, Deputy Minister Sugarbi is under investigation by antitrust authorities for receiving money last October at a cultural event under the pretext of appearance fees. In June last year, he faced pressure to resign after making obscene remarks and comments at a museum event. He praised the genitals as the most important organ in the human body and boasted about having slept with many women.
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

He claimed, "I was fortunate to discover this painting in a mansion my mother purchased in 2000." However, the Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano raised suspicions, stating, "This artwork appears to be the stolen painting." The outlet asserted that, using high-resolution scanning technology, the torn parts on the stolen painting's frame perfectly matched the torn sections on the painting exhibited by Deputy Minister Sgarbi. They also added that the canvas and pigment materials were identical.

However, there were differences between the two paintings; the upper left corner of the painting exhibited by Sgarbi featured a candle. Il Fatto Quotidiano speculated, "Deputy Minister Sgarbi painted over the candle to conceal the painting's origin." In response to the report, Sgarbi expressed his innocence. He appeared on the Italian broadcaster Mediaset the previous day, stating, "There is no mystery. There are two paintings," appealing for his innocence.

He further claimed that the painting he possesses is the original, and the one stolen in 2013 is a 19th-century forgery. Sgarbi said, "I don't understand how I can be investigated for a theft I did not commit," raising his voice, calling it a "clear defamation." However, some have even suggested the possibility that Deputy Minister Sgarbi deliberately stole the painting. The owner of the artwork revealed that a few weeks before the theft, someone came to buy the painting, who later turned out to be a friend of Sgarbi.

Rutilio Manetti's 'The Capture of Saint Peter'
[Photo by Italian daily newspaper Il Giornale d'Italia]

Separately, Deputy Minister Sgarbi is under investigation by antitrust authorities for receiving money as appearance fees at cultural events last October. In June of last year, he faced pressure to resign after making obscene remarks and statements at a museum event. He praised the genitals as the most important organ in the human body and boasted about having slept with many women. Early in the event, he also caused controversy by answering a phone call and then unleashing unspeakable curses at the person who had dialed the wrong number.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.