A painting of Jesus Christ rendered by Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens has sold for millions at auction after it was missing for 400 years, The Guardian reported.
The 17th-century Flemish master’s artwork, painted in 1613, depicts Christ on the cross during his crucifixion. The painting was missing for centuries, but last year was discovered by auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat in a Paris mansion which he was preparing for sale. On Nov. 30, Osenat’s auction house put the painting up for an expected sale of £1-2 million. However, the painting sold for a whopping £2.94 million ($3.41 million), including fees and a buyer’s premium. Osenat called the artwork “a masterpiece” painted by Rubens when he was “at the height of his talent.”
Little Is Known About the Artwork
Not much was known about the artwork aside from an engraving that one of Rubens’ peers had made shortly after its conception. Despite never having seen the painting itself, historians would later catalogue its existence based upon the engraving. Rubens’ painting was later purchased by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, a 19th-century French academic painter. The artwork was later authenticated by Nils Büttner, a German art historian who specializes in Flemish baroque works.
Rubens’ Painting Is Exceptionally Rare
Prior to the auction, Büttner explained that the painting is exceptionally rare because Rubens painted many scenes of crucifixion, but rarely depicted “the crucified Christ as a dead body on the cross.” “So this is the one and only painting showing blood and water coming out of the side wound of Christ, and this is something that Rubens only painted once,” Büttner said.
“It’s the very beginning of baroque painting, depicting a crucified Christ, isolated, luminous and standing out vividly against a dark and threatening sky,” Osenat said, adding that the painting was certified using pigment analysis and X-ray imaging.
