A long-lost painting by Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens has been auctioned for $2.7 million, more than four centuries after it disappeared.

The artwork, Christ on the Cross, was sold on Sunday, November 30, in Versailles, France, after being found in a private Paris home mixed in with other, much less valuable pieces.

Created in the early 1600s, the painting vanished shortly after completion and was believed to have passed through the hands of French painter William Bouguereau in the 19th century before being inherited by his family for generations.


Experts say the piece is exceptionally rare as it is the only known Rubens work showing “blood and water flowing from Christ’s side wound.”

Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat said he suspected the painting’s authenticity immediately and pushed for verification. The Rubenianum in Antwerp, the international authority on Rubens, later confirmed it as genuine.

Rubens scholar Nils Büttner noted that although the artist is celebrated for his crucifixion scenes, he seldom portrayed Christ lifeless on the cross — making this discovery even more significant.

Art expert Eric Turquin told bidders that the painting’s trail went cold in the early 17th century and is believed to have resurfaced only when it quietly entered Bouguereau’s possession before being passed down to his descendants.