400‑Year‑old lost masterpiece resurfaces—sold for ₹24 crore, features rare blood‑and‑water crucifixion detail

Versailles (The Uttam Hindu): Sunday was a historic day in the art world when a long-unknown painting by the great Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens was auctioned for $2.7 million (Rs 24.23 crore) in Versailles, France. This priceless masterpiece had been hidden from the world for more than four centuries and was recently recovered from a private townhouse in Paris. The painting depicts a poignant scene of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Initially, it was thought to be a simple work made in Rubens' workshop, but a thorough investigation revealed its authenticity.

Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Oseina said that he immediately realized the uniqueness of the painting. The Rubens Society in Antwerp, the Rubenianum, was contacted to authenticate it, where, after a lengthy process, it was declared genuine. Nils Buettner, a renowned Rubens researcher, said that although Rubens painted many scenes of the Crucifixion, he rarely depicted Christ dead on the cross. This is the only painting in which blood and water are shown flowing from the wounds of Jesus Christ, which Rubens did only once in his life.

Oceana Auction House has confirmed the painting's authenticity and historicity through scientific analysis. According to art expert Eric Turkin, the painting had virtually disappeared in the early 1600s. A retracing of history revealed that the painting was owned by William Bouguereau, a renowned 19th-century French classicist. After his death, it remained in the same family for generations, and now, after so many years, it has been revealed to the world.