A rare painting discovered by chance during a routine inventory check at a French home has fetched €600,000 at auction.
The piece was painted by Pieter Brueghel the Younger - son of the master Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder - around 1615.
It was stumbled upon at a home in Amboise (Indre-et-Loire) near Tours.
An unnamed Swiss buyer bought the piece at an auction in Paris on Tuesday (March 28), although it’s unclear whether the purchase was for a museum or a private collection.
Despite its previous storage location, the piece was in remarkably good condition, contributing to the final cost of the painting.
Found by chance behind a door
Best known for making copies of his father’s work, Brueghel the Younger also created a number of original pieces himself.
The former owners of the painting thought the piece was a copy, nicknaming it “the crust”, and had left the painting idly behind a door.
During a routine inventory check, however, it caught the eye of auctioneer Mairo de Lussac, an avid art historian who believed it to be a genuine piece.
Despite not being signed, the painting was quickly verified as genuine by art historians.
The painting was expected to fetch between €600,000 and €800,000 at the auction, with the final bid being on the lower side of estimations.
With all of the additional costs, however, the Swiss buyer will pay €780,000.
Related articles
French ‘lost’ old master painting was on family’s living room wall
France ordered to return ‘lost’ Renoir, Gauguin and Cézanne artworks
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Visa and residency cards for France*
