Did You Know Michelangelo’s First Painting Ever is in Texas?

Michelangelo's first-ever painting, thought to be created at the age of 12 or 13, is surprisingly located right here in Texas at the Kimbell Art Museum in Forth Worth. "The Torment of Saint Anthony" is the only painting by Michelangelo in North or South America.

Museum director Eric Lee was on his second day on the job when he learned the painting was listed for sale, and battled with the decision to purchase it or not. He flew to New York to take a closer look at the painting, afraid it might not be the real deal. Luckily, it was.

The famous painting was originally purchased by an Italian sculptor who believed it to be the lost work of Michelangelo, way back in the 1830s. He then took the painting to Paris where it lived in a private and all but forgotten collection for many years. In 1999, it was part of an exhibition in Florence that was dedicated to the work of Michelangelo, but the work was attributed to the "workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio", an artist Michelangelo trained under for some time.

The painting was listed for sale in 2008 by an art dealer named Adam Williams, who took it to be further examined and cleaned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator Keith Christiansen firmly believed the painting was the work of Michelangelo, but the museum was not able to purchase it.

Eric Lee jumped on the opportunity to purchase the historic work of art, and now it lives deep in the heart of Texas. Pretty nifty, huh?

To see the painting, click here.

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