Art History

Caravaggios Galore! Scholars Trumpet 2 Finds in 2 Days

Discovered separately, the works are believed to be early paintings by the Baroque master.

Portrait of a young man was attributed to the 16th century Tuscan School when it sold at Dorotheum in 2017. Courtesy of Dorotheum.

Jo Lawson-Tancred Nov 9, 2026

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It’s the stuff of art-historical dreams. Over the weekend, two Italian researchers each announced the discovery of a long-lost Caravaggio painting.

The first find came courtesy of historian Gianni Papi , who declared a dark portrait of a young man to be by the Baroque master. Previously attributed to the 16th-century Tuscan school, the canvas sold at Dorotheum auction house in 2017 for €3,810 ($4,300).

Papi announced his hypothesis during a conference at the Pinacoteca Civica in Montepulciano on November 7, according to the Italian art news outlet Finestre sull’Arte.…