Analysis
Flea Market Rubens Authenticated
A Portrait of Ecclesiastic purchased for €100 ($137) at a flea market in Southern France was confirmed as being by Rubens, La Tribune de l’Art reports. Although a non-specialist, the man who purchased it was immediately convinced he was dealing with something exceptional. The authentication process took ten years, but the attribution is now backed by experts. The piece is currently being examined by curators from the Louvre in Paris.
The piece could be worth upwards of €10 million ($13,794,570), perhaps even as much as €50 million ($68,972,852). The owner hopes that it will enter the Louvre collection. “For €45 million ($62,080,302), it’s theirs,” he said, adding that an American museum was also on the case.
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