Esztergom fresco identified as Botticelli work

One of the paintings discovered in Esztergom on which art restorers have been working on since 2000 was painted by 15th-century Italian painter Sandro Botticelli, Béla Horváth, director of the local Castle Museum (Vármúzeum), announced on Friday.

The fresco, dating back to 1460, depicts a full figure symbolizing "moderation," one the four Renaissance virtues, and decorated the study of former Esztergom Archbishop János Vitéz.

The director added that the discovery of the fresco was announced by art restorer Zsuzsanna Wierdl and art historian Mária Prokop at an international Renaissance conference in Florence on Thursday. Minister of education and culture István Hillér anticipated "major debate" to follow the announcement.

Esztergom is the former royal seat of Hungary and was one of the most significant centers of Renaissance culture in central Europe in the second half of the 15th century. The series of frescos, depicted the four virtues of wisdom, moderation, strength and truth, was first discovered during excavation work between 1934 to 38. The upper layer of the painting had been completely destroyed, but the quality of the work was so high that experts have been trying to identify the artist responsible for decades.

Based on historical evidence of contact between János Vitéz and Florence, the techniques used in the workshop of Filippo Lippi and the female form resembling Botticelli's later work, Weissl speculates that this may be one of the artist's first pieces of independent work as a young painter. Several document show that h was in Hungary at this time.

Work on the remaining paintings is still under way. It is possible that these are also Botticellis. The work is expected to be open to the public in three years.

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