I'm asking for a friend. It doesn't sound like anything I've ever seen.

Small boy in Italy, probably blond-haired, wants to be a painter, but his father doesn't want him to. The boy loves a famous fresco in the local church, which is usually kept behind a curtain to protect it, but is shown on rare occasions. He goes to the church to see the fresco, and is filled with wonder when he finally sees it. At some point, he also is able to buy some paints and pursue his calling. Maybe he becomes a famous painter?