Lost Rubens painting of Jesus’s crucifixion sells for $2.7 million 400 years after it vanished

The painting, completed in 1613, was recently discovered in a private Paris townhouse. (Image credit: Osenat)

A long-lost painting of Jesus’ crucifixion by Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens sold for nearly $3 million at an auction in Versailles on Sunday — more than four centuries after it disappeared.

The painting, completed in 1613, was recently discovered in a private Paris townhouse. Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat stumbled upon the work while preparing the property for sale. “I immediately had a hunch about this painting, and I did everything I could to try to have it authenticated. And finally, we managed to have it authenticated by the Rubenianum, which is the Rubens committee in Antwerp,” Osenat said.

The piece sold for €2.94 million ($3.41 million) through the Osenat auction house, far exceeding its estimated price of €1–2 million.

A unique depiction

Unlike Rubens’ famous Christ on the Cross, which portrays the chaos of the crucifixion scene, the rediscovered work is a solitary depiction of Jesus against a bleak backdrop.

Nils Büttner, a Rubens expert, told auctiongoers: “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.”

The painting measures 105.5 by 72.5 cm and is described as “the very beginning of Baroque painting, depicting a crucified Christ, isolated, luminous and standing out vividly against a dark and threatening sky.”Authentication and provenance 

The auction house confirmed authenticity through scientific analysis, including X-ray imaging and pigment studies. Layers of white, black, and red were found beneath the surface, along with blue and green pigments — a hallmark of Rubens’ technique for painting human skin.

Art expert Eric Turquin explained that the painting vanished in the early 1600s and likely ended up with 19th-century French academic painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau, whose family kept it until its recent discovery.

Rubens's market legacy

Rubens remains one of the most sought-after Baroque artists. In 2018, his A Satyr holding a Basket of Grapes and Quinces with a Nymph sold to tech billionaire Sean Parker for nearly $6 million.

(With inputs from agencies)