A painting by the Flemish master was found in a private mansion, French auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat said on Wednesday.
A "Masterpiece." This is how the find was described by those who discovered it. A painting by Pieter-Paul Rubens (1577-1640), which was thought to have disappeared since 1613, was found in a private mansion in Paris, said Jean-Pierre Osenat, the auctioneer behind this discovery.
“It is a masterpiece, a Christ on the cross, painted in 1613, which had disappeared, and which I found in September 2024 during the inventory and sale of a mansion in the VI arrondissement in Paris,” said Jean-Pierre Osenat, president of the auction house carrying the same name. He also announced that the painting would be auctioned on November 30. “It is rare and an unheard-of discovery that will mark my career as an auctioneer,” he added.
The work was painted by the Flemish master at the "summum of his talent", Jean-Pierre Osenat says. He adds that the canvas was authenticated by Professor Nils Bottner, a specialist in German, Flemish and Dutch art from the 15th to the 16th century and President of the Rubenianum.
This painting, with a dimension of 105.5 by 72.5 centimeters, was probably intended for a private collector. It is said to have belonged to the 19th-century academic painter William Bouguereau and then sold to the owners of the Paris mansion where the painting was finally found.
Main Image: Christ on the cross by Pieter-Paul Rubens (1613) Copyright Auction House Ossenat, Paris