The Death of the Virgin by Bartolomeo Vivarini

Bartolomeo Vivarini's The Death of the Virgin (1493) disappeared during World War II and spent decades hidden in a school in rural England. The altarpiece was only rediscovered and properly conserved in the 21st century, and it now rests in St. Mary's Cathedral in Middlesbrough, a surprising home for a Venetian masterpiece.

Look for the ring of ten winged angels encircling the brilliant blue mandorla. At its center, Christ is enthroned, ready to receive Mary's soul. The apostles below are a study in color: the kneeling figure in ultramarine anchors the grieving scene, while the gold-vestmented figure on the right likely represents a bishop or Peter. Tighten your focus on Christ's halo to see the delicate, punch-tooled gold patterns that Vivarini used to catch candlelight in a dim church.

Vivarini was a master in late 15th-century Venice. He painted this scene near the end of his career, using tempera and gold leaf to build a composition that balances earthly grief with divine glory. The tradition of the Dormition was widely depicted in Italy, but Vivarini's version is notable for its decorative richness and the quiet authority of its staging.

A painting that survived a war and six decades of obscurity now hangs in a modern English cathedral. What other lost treasures might be sitting quietly in the places we least expect?