A painting long attributed to Michelangelo is now confirmed as his earliest known work, created when he was just 12 or 13 years old. Titled *The Torment of Saint Anthony*, it shows the young artist's precocious talent. For centuries, its true authorship was debated before modern analysis settled the question.

The painting sold at Sotheby's in 2008, prompting examination at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Infrared scans revealed *pentimenti*, or corrections, indicating original creation rather than a copy. Its color palette and treatment of the human figure resembled the style Michelangelo would later perfect in the Sistine Chapel.

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, acquired the piece after finding no convincing arguments against its attribution. Art historian Giorgio Vasari later confirmed its provenance. It remains one of only four easel paintings attributed to Michelangelo, who famously disparaged oil painting, making this early work particularly significant.