Worth two million euros... A French family finds an 18th-century painting
A family from the French province of Marne discovered a painting from the eighteenth century by the famous French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard in her apartment, with an estimated value of between 1.5 and 2 million euros.
According to French radio "Europe 1", the painting "The Philosopher's Reading" was found in the family's guest room during an inheritance inventory. The "forgotten" piece may have been in the apartment for about a century."What struck me was the light, this soft light in the style of Fragonard, a very beautiful painting from the eighteenth century," said Antoine Beauty, an expert at the auction.
Beauty indicated that possible doubts about authorship were removed by the signature on the reverse side, written in italics "Fragonard".
Stéphane Pinta, another art expert, confirmed that there was no doubt about the authenticity of the work.
The Reading of the Philosopher was painted in the 1770s and is the pinnacle of Fragonard's work. It will be auctioned at Epernay on June 26th.