The Pietà was identified following its acquisition by a collector who wishes to remain anonymous. In June 2020, the work appeared in the catalogue of the Wannenes auction house in Genoa. Presented as the work of an anonymous artist from the 16th–17th century, the auction catalogue description states that “the iconography of the painting expresses a heterogeneous figurative culture, dictated by Tuscan-Roman influences inspired by the models of Andrea del Sarto, Pontormo, Francesco Salviati and, of course, Michelangelo”. After contacting the auction house, the collector acquired it in February 2024. The painting arrived at his home in April 2024, and after a few days, while examining the painting, he discovered the presence of two signatures. He then decided to commission several scientific studies which, combining laboratory tests and in-depth historical and artistic analysis, identified the previously unknown painting as an autograph work by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564). To distinguish this work from other representations of the same subject by Michelangelo, it was named the Spirituali Pietà. The press announcement of the discovery of this masterpiece coincides with the celebration of the 551st anniversary of Michelangelo's birth on 6 March 1475 in Caprese.

The discovery is substantiated by:

• Two advanced and exhaustive technical analysis reports from the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage of Belgium (KIK-IRPA), widely considered one of the top five most prestigious conservation and heritage science institutes in the world.

• An over six-hundred-page in-depth critical analysis, blending traditional connoisseurship with formalist study, authored by Professor Michel Draguet, Member of the Class of Arts of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Fine Arts of Belgium; High Representative of Belgian Federal Heritage; and Honorary Director General of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

• Expert restoration executed by Arcanes Sarl (Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France - C2RMF), described as an elite, top-tier painting restoration workshop in the highly specialized world of European art restoration. Their interventions and findings are set forth in an extensive, detailed report.

Scientific Evidence and Precise Dating

KIK-IRPA’s key scientific findings include:

• MA-XRF Scanning: Macro X-ray fluorescence confirmed that one of Michelangelo’s amply documented monograms was twice applied by the artist to the original dry paint surface before the natural formation of craquelure. In addition to these monograms, there is a cryptic series of lines that can be likened to the numbers that appear in the artist's correspondence: 1-5-4. There is no further information regarding the exact year.

• Carbon-14 Dating: Analysis of the linen canvas dates the material to between 1520 and 1580, placing it squarely within the final decades of Michelangelo’s life.

• Pigment Analysis: “The identification of carminic acid gives proof of the use of cochineal scale insects in the red lake of Mary's cloak (...). In the given 16th century context of the red lake, the Mexican cochineal species (Dactylopius coccus Costa) is the most likely source used” says Dr. Steven Saverwyns, Director, Pigment Analysis Laboratory, KIK-IRPA. “The presence of red lake made from Mexican cochineal insects supports a date of 1540”, says Professor Draguet, since this variant of lake appeared in Europe during that decade.

• Infrared Reflectography: This revealed significant compositional changes during the painting process, excluding the possibility that the work is a copy.

“No modern pigments could be identified in the composition of the paint (nor in the paint underlying the monograms). Craquelures formed in the paint layer run through both monograms, so they were definitely not applied after the craquelure in the paint had formed.” — Dr. Saverwyns