Restituted Christ painting highlight of Old Master auctions

RUETERS
By Chris Michaud

A 16th-century painting of Christ carrying the cross which was recently restituted to the heirs of a Jewish-Italian businessman is expected to sell for about $3 million at auction this week. "Christ Carrying the Cross," by Italian painter Girolamo Romanino, was restituted by a U.S. District Court in February to the heirs of Federico Gentili di Giuseppe, a Parisian art collector who died in 1940. The work is expected to fetch a top price at Christie's Old Masters sale on Tuesday, which could total more than $10 million for some 100 lots on offer. [link]