However, the second version, which was painted in Naples, went missing without a trace 400 years ago – until, if it proves genuine, a family on the outskirts of Toulouse unearthed the painting in an attic they didn’t even know existed until they forced open a door while inspecting a leak in April 2014.

Their local auctioneer, Marc Labarde, recognised the work as Italian 17th century.

The right-side had a water stain due to the leak, but was in fact in excellent condition.

“The whole painting was covered in a misty white, which was grime. So I took a bit of cotton and water and rubbed the dirt off the maid’s face,” he recalled.

He sent a photo to Mr Turquin, an expert in Old Masters, who instantly thought it could be a great painting.

After two years of analysis, Mr Turquin admitted that there would be “more controversies than expertise” and “no consensus” over its provenance, with one Caravaggio specialist, Mina Gregori, already questioning its authenticity.