Renoir's Lost Son Painting Fetches Millions

A remarkable discovery in the art world, a previously unknown painting by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir has achieved a significant sale price of €1.8 million ($2.08 million) at a Paris auction. The oil painting, identified as "L'enfant et ses jouets - Gabrielle et le fils de l'artiste, Jean," features Renoir's son Jean as a child, accompanied by his nanny. This artwork had remained hidden from public view, never having been exhibited or sold prior to this event.

The piece originated from the collection of Jeanne Baudot, a close friend and student of Renoir, who was also Jean's godmother. Baudot passed the painting to her inheritors, who eventually brought it to auction. Art historians estimate the painting was created between 1890 and 1895, a period when Renoir was actively painting. An art expert lauded the painting's "exceptional condition" and the absence of any restoration work.

The sale occurred amid signs of a revival in the high-end art market, which has seen several record-breaking sales recently. The buyer of the Renoir painting is described as an "international buyer." Jean Renoir, the subject of the painting, later became a celebrated film director, earning a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his contributions to cinema.