LOST AUGUSTE RODIN SCULPTURE SELLS FOR €860,000 AT FRENCH AUCTION

A small marble sculpture by French artist Auguste Rodin, long believed to be a copy, has fetched €860,000 at an auction in France. The sale took place on Monday at the Château de Villandry in Indre-et-Loire, as reported by the Rouillac auction house website.

The piece, titled "Le Désespoir" ("Despair"), is a variation of Rodin's famous "The Gates of Hell" and was created around 1892. It depicts a woman embracing her knees and holding one of her feet.

Genealogical Research Confirms Authenticity

The sculpture had been missing since its last auction sale in 1906. Its recent owners kept it on a piano in their home, believing it to be merely a replica. However, after six weeks of investigation, they were informed of its genuine authenticity.

French auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that he visited the Comité Rodin in March. This organization, considered the leading authority on the French sculptor, confirmed the sculpture was not a fake after extensive research and a genealogical investigation.

Rouillac described the 28.5 cm marble piece as an "extremely rare" find. "We rediscovered it," he added. The work was acquired by an anonymous American buyer.