Spain / Italy 2025, 75 min, Italian and Spanish, Hebrew & English subtitles
A “sleeper” is the art world’s term for a rare masterpiece waiting to be discovered. Finding a sleeper is the ultimate dream for any art dealer, and they are constantly on the lookout for these hidden treasures. On April 8, 2021, an 80-year-old Madrid woman took a painting, a long-time fixture in her family’s living room, to an auction house for valuation. The initial appraisal was around €1,500. No one imagined that within 24 hours, its estimated worth would skyrocket to nine figures. Within moments, art hunters, Baroque experts, and deep-pocketed collectors worldwide heard the call and began their pilgrimage to behold what could be a lost work by renowned Italian master Caravaggio. The ensuing tangled drama meticulously charts the passionate face-off over the painting’s attribution and the unraveling of the mystery surrounding one of history’s most enigmatic “sleepers.”
