Long-lost Rubens painting depicting the crucifixion of Jesus sells for €2.3 million

A long-lost painting by Peter Paul Rubens has sold at auction for €2.3 million in Versailles.

The painting depicting the crucifixion of Jesus by the Flemish Baroque master (1577 - 1640) was hidden for more than four centuries. It was recently found in a private townhouse in Paris.

“I immediately had a hunch about this painting, and I did everything I could to try to have it authenticated,” auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat told AP. “And finally, we managed to have it authenticated by the Rubenianum, which is the Rubens committee in Antwerp.”

Nils Büttner, an expert known for his research on Rubens, explained before the auction that Rubens often painted crucifixions 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.”

The Osenat auction house said the painting’s authenticity was confirmed after scientific analysis. It said microscopic examination of the paint layers revealed not only white, black, and red pigments in the areas representing flesh, but also blue and green pigments Rubens typically used in painting human skin.