Misidentified Rubens Painting Sells for $2.7 Million

A rediscovered painting by Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens has sold for 2.3 million euros, roughly $2.7 million, at an auction in Paris — far exceeding early expectations. The artwork, titled “Christ on the Cross,” dates back to around 1620–1625 and had remained unseen by the public for centuries.

The piece was discovered inside a family mansion in Paris, where descendants of French artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau had kept it for generations. Believing the painting to be attributed to one of Rubens’ assistants, they had not considered its full significance until experts began an in-depth investigation.

That authentication effort, led by Rubens scholar Nils Büttner, included X-ray and microscopic pigment testing. The results confirmed the painting was an original work of Rubens — one of the most influential painters of the Baroque era.

Collecting interest quickly surged as the artwork hit the market. Auctioneers had estimated the piece would sell for 1–2 million euros, but the final bidding surpassed those expectations.

Auction house chairman Jean-Pierre Osenat described the rediscovery as stunning, saying the work embodies Rubens’ artistic strength, emotion, and faith.

This isn’t the first time a Rubens painting, once misattributed, has earned major attention. In 2002, another piece reclassified from a lesser-known artist to Rubens sold for nearly ten times its projected value, reaching $76 million.

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