He spotted a painting of the Madonna and child tucked away in an antiques store, and immediately knew it was a Renaissance masterpiece.
Ayers wasn't sure who painted it, but the Winnetka native snapped a photo and returned home, determined to prove its authenticity. And his friend got on board.
"As soon as he showed me the picture, I said I'm in. I think you have a hunch, I think you're right. Let's see what we can make happen," said Ari Cohen.
Cohen and Philippe Farcy were part of a group of Ayers and friends who pooled their money to buy the painting for $30,000. It is stored in an undisclosed location.
"Tony then became obsessed with the painting," Farcy said.
An art historian told Ayers the painting may be the work of Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, who had a distinct way of painting the Madonna. But that was just the beginning; through extensive research, Ayers learned the painting was brought from Italy to Kentucky by a bishop who started a convent. It eventually was sold to an antiques dealer and ended up in England.
Still, it has not been easy convincing the skeptical art world the painting is real.
"We have scholars that believe it's a Raphael, we have the pigments that match a Raphael and now we have the AI," Cohen said.
Two years ago, the friends hired an artificial intelligence firm that analyzed brushstrokes. It confirmed the faces of Mary and baby were painted by Raphael. Workers in his studio most likely completed the rest.
"We know that the painting, the main figure was painted by Raphael, but it was finished by other hands," Farcy said.
Ayers died from Alzheimer's in 2022, but his friends say this has been a labor of love and hope Chicagoans will have the chance to appreciate this rare painting.