Two other small panels by Cimabue were already in famous museums. One hangs in the Frick Collection in New York. The other is in the National Gallery in London.
Turquin said all three came from the same poplar panel. The tiny tunnels left by woodworm matched from one piece to the next.
The three pictures had once been parts of a single work. “We have objective proof it's by the artist,” Turquin said.