Cimabue painting found in French kitchen hits new record

AGENCIES: A long-lost painting by a celebrated Italian artist that was found hanging in the kitchen of an elderly French woman has sold for $26.6 million at an auction, setting a new record.

Christ Mocked, by the pre-Renaissance artist Cimabue, was discovered last month in northern France.

For years, the painting hung above a hotplate in a kitchen in the city of Compiègne. It was spotted by an auctioneer, who advised its owner to have it evaluated by experts.