Family discovers that painting hung in their living room for 60 years is worth 300,000 euros

It was in Indre-et-Loire (France) that the discovery was made: a painting that belonged to a local family for nearly 150 years proved to be an authentic Delacroix.

The owners sought the expertise of an auctioneer to appraise several items in their home. On site, the expert was immediately drawn to a painting hung on the living room wall, measuring 61x50cm, depicting seven lions lying side by side.

As reported by France Bleu, relayed by Demotivateur, the painting turned out to be a work of Eugène Delacroix, a painter renowned worldwide, notably for his canvas 'Liberty Leading the People'. The painting is valued between 200,000 and 300,000 euros. A real surprise for its owners... and for the auctioneer.

A staggering discovery

"I couldn't take my eyes off it, you could instantly tell it wasn't a painting by just anyone. The sellers explained to me that their family had passed down the belief that Delacroix may have been the author. I felt a kind of vertigo... When I turned the painting over, I found the wax seal of Eugène Delacroix's studio on the canvas and the stretcher, as well as the whole palette of oil colours used by the painter," revealed Malo de Lussac, the auctioneer, to France 3.

And that wasn’t all, as Malo de Lussac discovered, upon opening a drawer in a piece of furniture, several letters from specialists confirming it was indeed a Delacroix. "It's somewhat the Holy Grail of our profession. It's brilliant to unearth a master’s painting. To still have this kind of surprise in 2025 in France is completely unexpected," he declared enthusiastically.

The painting’s owners decided not to keep it to avoid the costs of insurance, security, and preservation of the work.

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source: Demotivateur - Illustration: ©Unsplash)