Sopranos Actor Federico Castelluccio Discovers a 17th-Century Painting Worth Millions


Sopranos Actor Federico Castelluccio Discovers a 17th-Century Painting Worth Millions


Federico Castelluccio


J Carter Rinaldi/FilmMagic






09/29/2014 AT 09:45 PM EDT



That's one purchase that paid off!

Years after winning a mistakenly identified painting at an auction, Sopranos star Federico Castelluccio discovered the artwork was worth millions.


A painter himself, and an expert in Baroque European art, Castelluccio won the piece, which at the time of sale was incorrectly labeled as an 18th-century Italian holy painting of Saint Sebastian. Actually completed by the artist Guercino circa 1632-34, Castelluccio told The New York Post , "They had no idea who painted this."


After having the piece authenticated by experts who used infrared reflectography, X-rays and chemical testing of the pigment, as well as shelling out thousands to have it restored, Castelluccio (who played a hitman named Furio in the hit HBO show) could now get millions for his find.


While the image hasn't been publicly on display for 350 years, it will appear next at the "Saint Sebastian: Beauty and Integrity in Art Between the 15th and the 17th Centuries" exhibit in Turin, Italy, beginning Oct. 4.






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