According to ArtNews, the Osenat auction house offered the work in Versailles on 30/11, with an estimated sale price of one to two million euros. The painting was then finalized at 2,3 million euros (USD 2,7 million), but the buyer paid a total of 2,94 million euros (approximately USD 3,4 million) due to additional fees.

The painting "Christ on the Cross", valued at over USD 3,4 million (approximately 71 billion dong), measures 105,5 x 72,5 cm. Photo: AFP.

"Christ on the Cross", painted in 1613, depicts Jesus on the cross, a common theme for the master Peter Paul Rubens. In 9/2024, Jean-Pierre Osenat, 79, president of the Osenat auction house, discovered the artwork in a mansion in Paris, France, before the property was to be sold.

According to AFP, Osenat initially did not believe he had found anything valuable. He took the painting to Centrum Rubenianum, Rubens' heritage research committee in Belgium, for authentication using X-ray imaging and pigment analysis. German art historian Nils Büttner, a leading expert on Rubens, confirmed the painting's origin and personally called Osenat to inform him.

Speaking with Guardian, Nils Büttner stated that the master often painted crucifixion scenes, but this work rarely depicts Jesus' physical suffering. Büttner remarked: "This is the one painting that shows blood and water flowing from the wound in Jesus' side. Rubens only painted this subject once."

Self-portrait of the master Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1623. Photo: Royal Collection Trust.

Little information is currently available regarding the circumstances of its creation. According to Jean-Pierre Osenat, a French academic painter named William-Adolphe Bouguereau acquired the painting in the 19th century, passing it down through generations of the Bouguereau family. Although the painting had never been seen directly, historians acknowledged its existence due to an engraving depicting the work made by a contemporary of Peter Paul Rubens.

With many years of experience in the art field, Jean-Pierre Osenat considers "Christ on the Cross" a masterpiece by Peter Paul Rubens, painted during the artist's career peak. "This marks the beginning of the baroque style, depicting Christ crucified, isolated yet radiant, standing out against a dark, menacing sky," he stated in an interview with AFP.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was born in Germany to Belgian parents. He was one of the masters of the Flemish baroque art style, known for his dramatic depiction of light combined with realism and meticulous detail. Some of his masterpieces include "The Descent from the Cross", "Judgement of Paris", and "Equestrian Portrait of the Duke of Lerma".

Trinh Lam (according to ArtNews, Guardian, NPR)