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In one of France's most exciting artistic discoveries of recent years, two paintings by the 16th century Italian artist Caravaggio have been found in a church in the central town of Loches, the town's municipal authority said Wednesday.
"Pilgrimage of Our Lord to Emmaus" and "Saint Thomas putting his finger on Christ's wound" were discovered in 1999 under the organ loft in the church of Saint Anthony and have now been verified by experts.
"When I walked into the room where the paintings were, I was completely shocked ... It was very emotional. This kind of thing happens once in a lifetime," said Caravaggio specialist Jose Freches.
According to Loches municipality, the paintings are almost certainly two out of a batch of four that are known to have been bought from Caravaggio by Philippe de Bethune, a minister of France's King Henry IV.
Caravaggio, whose full name was Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, was born around 1570 and died in 1610. He was renowned for his biblical scenes which were painted with what was then a radically new attention to natural detail.
"A whole series of technical clues plus the pictorial quality of the works were enough to convince me without any doubt that these are originals," said Freches.
"Scientific tests have shown that the linen canvasses are identical to those used by Caravaggio, and the same goes for the pigments. The pictures are in their original state -- they haven't been restored as so many Caravaggios were. On top of that we know their provenance," he said.
The Emmaus picture is similar to Caravaggio's "Supper at Emmaus" which is in the National Gallery in London and the Saint Thomas resembles "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas" which is in the castle of Sans-Souci near Potsdam in Germany, according to Freches.
"But they are not exact copies. The London Christ is beardless and more chubby than the one in Loches. And in the Loches Saint Thomas the collar of one of the apostles is blue, unlike in Potsdam. We know that Caravaggio did many versions of his pictures," he said.
The paintings are being kept in the town in the Loire Valley region, where they will go on display later this year.
In 1990 a lost Caravaggio painting called "The Taking of Christ" was found in the residence of the Society of Jesus -- or Jesuits -- in Dublin and is now one of the star attractions at the National Gallery of Ireland.
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AFP 251232 GMT 01 06
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