Man Arrested for Selling Fake da Vinci Painting in Italy

Spanish authorities have apprehended a man in Madrid for attempting to sell a counterfeit painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci for €1.3 million (£1.1 million) in Italy. The suspect, a man in his 40s, was reportedly en route to a buyer in Milan when customs officials intervened. Although his export permit was valid, it had expired, prompting officials to seize the artwork and notify the police. Upon further examination, experts determined that the painting, purportedly depicting Italian aristocrat Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, was not an original da Vinci. The police stated that the analysis revealed the piece to be a copy of Milanese portraits from the late 15th to early 16th century, likely created with fraudulent intent in the early 20th century. Its estimated value was assessed to be between €3,000 (£2,564) and €5,000 (£4,273), far below the claimed worth. The painting was alleged to have been produced during da Vinci's time working for Duke Ludovico Sforza in Milan. A police spokesperson emphasized that the export license did not guarantee the artwork's authenticity, and its expiration led to the confiscation and subsequent investigation. The case has been classified as an alleged smuggling operation, resulting in the man's arrest as authorities continue to probe the circumstances surrounding the fraudulent sale.