(Nexstar) – The painting hanging in the living room of a French family has proven to be far more valuable than another trinket or heirloom.
The auctioneer who stocks Turrayn’s family property discovered it was the original artwork of Augenne de la Croix, a French romantic painter who died in 1863.
The family obtained artwork for an oil canvas entitled “études de lionscouchés” (Study of the Reclining Lion) for sale after Dela Croix’s death. According to the auctioneer Malo de Lasac, who made the discovery, the family wasn’t sure it was Delacroix.
The existence of the painting “was previously unknown,” says the auction house hotel Drouot.
“Previously unknown and unpublished artwork is even more extraordinary as Delacroix, who is usually known for his lion sketches and research, is not known for his painted version,” Hotel Drott said in a press release.
One of the seven lions in the painting is less complete than the other lions and appears as a sketch on the left. On the back of the painting is a palette test mark on the canvas and stretcher.
The painting will be announced at auction on Friday. Its estimate is between 200,000 and 300,000 euros.
Born in 1798, Eugène Delacroix is considered a leader in the romantic movement of French painting. His works are much more likely to be seen in the Louvre than in the basement or living room.
