'Archimedes' Mystery Solved: Masterpiece Revealed as Caravaggio at Monaco Symposium

"If we could see everything in a single photograph, we probably wouldn't know what an X-ray is today," says art researcher Adrian Romanov

MONACO, June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The discoverer of the painting, responding to the art market's long-standing skepticism. An international team of Italian researchers has officially confirmed the authenticity of the centuries-lost painting "Archimedes," revealing that the masterpiece was predominantly painted by Caravaggio himself and finalized by his close collaborator, Mario Minniti.

Instead of academic guesswork—X-rays and hard data. For centuries, the fate of this canvas remained in the shadows of history, and for the past four decades, it lay hidden in a private collection, far out of reach of the public and the establishment. Today, the curtain finally falls. State-of-the-art laboratory analyses confirm what seemed impossible: the world has just gained an unknown masterpiece from the late, turbulent period of Michelangelo Merisiego de Caravaggio (1608–1610).

"We confirm the authenticity of a work co-created by Caravaggio and Mario Minniti during the master's stay in Syracuse," announced Dr. Roberta Lapucci, a prominent Italian art historian and conservator, during the prestigious "Caravaggio & Archimedes" scientific symposium in Monte Carlo.

Presented to the public, the oil on canvas painting (75 \times 61\text{ cm}) was subjected to a rigorous technological investigation. Comprehensive analyses—including infrared and ultraviolet imaging, X-ray examinations, hyperspectral camera tests, canvas and paint layer expert assessments, XRF analysis, digital microscopy, pigment analysis under an electron scanning microscope (EDS), advanced technical comparisons, and AI-driven assessments—unlocked the secrets hidden beneath the paint. They revealed earlier brush layers, unique numerical workshop markings typical of Caravaggio, and traces of an underlying composition linked to the iconic Medusa-on-a-shield motif.

The history of the canvas unfolds as a fascinating narrative at the crossroads of art history and scientific investigation. Research proves the painting originally depicted Philip de Wignacourt (brother of the Grand Master of the Order of Malta). At a later stage, it was transformed into the image of Archimedes. This alteration may have been directly inspired by Caravaggio's meeting with Vincenzo Mirabella—a Sicilian scholar whose profound fascination with Archimedes sparked the artist's new concept. The attributes in the current composition—a compass and a mirror—refer to the science of optics and light, the core of Caravaggio's unique chiaroscuro technique, which he built using a complex system of mirrors.

The Sicilian connection is paramount here. Caravaggio arrived in Syracuse in 1608, fleeing a death sentence in Malta. He was sheltered by Mario Minniti—his former model, friend, and collaborator. "Archimedes" stands as a tangible witness to this final, dark chapter in the genius's life and work.

The presentation of these findings by a consortium of experts (Dr. Roberta Lapucci, Dr. Fabio Scaletti, Dr. Barbara Savina, and Dr. Alessandra Gregori) finally shatters the silence. It is a powerful manifesto of hard science that has left the art market helpless—the establishment can no longer ignore this evidence.

Media Contact : Adrian Romanov/Katharina Rubi, TheCaravaggio.com, [email protected] 

SOURCE Caravaggio & Archimedes: A Scholarly Symposium