Citizens of Rome got the surprise of their lives when they opened the morning paper on July 18. Sprawled across the front page of the Vatican newspaper was a picture of a painting many are saying is the work of renowned baroque maestro, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

The news couldn’t have been timelier as, over the last weekend, Rome celebrated the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio’s death. Attributed as one of the forefathers of the Baroque school of painting, only 80 of his works have supposedly survived into the 21st century. News of discovering a lost Caravaggio painting is hardly far-fetched. During his lifetime, he was well sought after for his distinctly emotive style of painting. It was a notorious reputation and lack of an established workshop for protégées that caused his legacy to wane almost immediately after his death. It was only in the 20th century that his significance in the development of Western art was rediscovered.

The newly discovered painting, entitled ‘The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence,’ was recently found among the possessions of the Jesuits in Rome. It depicts an almost naked man leaning over flames, one hand stretched out and carrying an expression of apparent desperation.

Further analyses and in-depth, critical examination are still needed to verify the authenticity of the artwork. What is certain, however, is that the painting is stylistically impeccable. It appears to have all the characteristics of a Caravaggio painting, including stark contrasts and dramatic lighting effects.

Earlier this year, Italy started marking the artist’s anniversary with a variety of events. This weekend, several churches and an art gallery were kept open all night to showcase some of Caravaggio’s greatest masterpieces. Major art exhibitions have also been held to honor the influential artist. The kick-off event, which was held at the Scuderie Del Quirinale in Rome, drew more than half a million people from around the world to view his paintings.

This is an extremely important discovery for Italian art. It’s almost giving new life to an artist who is long gone. The crowd that it attracted just goes to show that great art and their artists can achieve a timeless appeal.