A painting believed to be an early work by Caravaggio goes on public display in the Sicilian town on Trapani, Saturday. A casual glance at an auction catalogue set a British art historian on the path to discovering the true origins of the painting. The painting previously had been attributed to an anonymous follower of the Baroque master. Experts in Italy believe Caravaggio's "The Cardsharps" is an earlier version of the artist's 1594 painting, now on display at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, The "earlier" painting surfaced at a London auction last year. The previously anonymous work was picked up at Sotheby's auction in December 2006 by art historian and collector Denis Mahon. Mahon was at a restaurant when he spotted a painting attributed to a Caravaggio follower in a catalogue. He noted the distinctive brushstrokes and quickly linked it to Caravaggio's the "Cardsharps". Maurizio Marini, another Caravaggio expert who has studied the newly found painting, says the work is true to Caravaggio's style. Maurizio Marini, art historian, said, "Underneath the dice game in the foreground, there is a carpet, the dice game was painted over it. Underneath the hat of the young man who is being tricked is a half face of the elder rascal. That is one of his famous techniques." "The Cardsharps" is an early work by Caravaggio. It shows a young, fresh-faced page as he is duped by two cheats, during a card game. The scene is typical of Caravaggio's revolutionary style of depicting realistic characters and images found in everyday life. Caravaggio fled Rome in 1606. He spent the last years of his life between Naples, Malta and Sicily. The exhibit in Trapani, runs through until March 14. The showing commemorates the 400th anniversary of the artist's sojourn on the island.