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Rediscovered Rubens Painting Sells for €2.94 Million in Versailles

Expert validation plus scientific testing cleared the work for auction.

Overview

  • The 17th-century canvas, titled "Kreuzigung Jesu Christi," fetched €2.94 million at Osenat on Sunday, beating its €1–2 million estimate.
  • Jean‑Pierre Osenat found the work last year during an inventory of a Paris townhouse slated for sale.
  • German Rubens specialist Nils Büttner examined the painting and affirmed the attribution.
  • X‑ray imaging and pigment analysis were conducted, and the work was described as very well preserved.
  • The roughly 106-by-73-centimeter painting, dated to around 1613, shows the crucified Jesus with Jerusalem in the background and has provenance including 19th‑century ownership by William Bouguereau.