Works thought lost: this year’s rediscoveries [09 Sep 2025]

A legendary bronze hidden under a sheet… a Dalí drawing unearthed at a garage sale… a Turner painting mistakenly sold for $500… The art market loves these sensational twists of fate. Each unexpected reappearance rekindles collector excitement and transforms its sale into a veritable event. Artprice takes a closer look at this year's (re)discoveries.

When a long-lost work resurfaces, it not only adds another piece to the grand jigsaw puzzle of art history, it inflames passions via the media attention that inevitably arises. Some rediscoveries generate strong bidding enthusiasm with prices very quickly soaring from modest to extravagant. Artprice takes a look at the forgotten works that have excited the market this year and focuses on the interesting cocktail of factors - historical, aesthetic, and strategic - that trigger strong bidding passion for such works.

Sections:

Ancient treasures that adjust art history and jolt the market

A Turner, previously acquired for $500, changes the game

Klimt, Magritte, Claudel, Vlaminck in the forgotten treasures of private collections

Coming soon… Salvador Dali and Guido Reni

Ancient treasures that adjust history and jolt the market

Rediscoveries create a sense of urgency and scarcity, driving bidding well beyond estimates. The most iconic example of this was the rediscovery of Rubens' Massacre of the Innocents, a youthful masterpiece that remained hidden for nearly 250 years. Reattributed and brought to the limelight by George Gordon, Co-Chair of Sotheby's Old Master Paintings and Drawings Worldwide, the painting fetched a staggering $76.7 million in 2002. More than twenty years later, this record for a rediscovered work remains unbeaten.

Sotheby's podcast with George Gordon - The Rediscovery of Rubens' The Massacre of the Innocents - is still available online

2025 has been a particularly good vintage for rediscoveries of ancient works… proof that the patient work of auditors, estate managers, and experts constantly fuels the market.

In France, an étude de lions by Delacroix (image opposite) that had remained in the same family for more than a century resurfaced in July. Appraised by Eric Turquin's Appraisal Firm for Maître Malo de Lussac, its meticulously reconstructed history led to a remarkable auction at Daguerre.

The following month, a work titled Nature morte aux financiers by Lubin BAUGIN (1612/13-1663) (1610-1663), found during a Parisian inventory, created a sensation at Vichy Enchères by fetching $515,000, more than double its estimate. It is the fifth known still-life by the artistand the first to reappear on the market in 70 years.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the English Channel, Sotheby's revealed more treasures in London: an early painting by Edwin Henry LANDSEER (1802-1873) shot up to $142,000 (75% above its high estimate) and a major canvas by Diana DE ROSA (c.1602/13-c.1649) sold for $433,000. These discoveries remind us that art history is not written in stone, and they also prove that the 'rediscovery effect' can be one of the market's best stimulants.

Diana de Rosa: a baroque prodigy finally rehabilitated

Let's take a look at the exemplary case of a Salomé by Diana de Rosa (opposite image), a painting whose existence long remained unknown to researchers. A striking work - depicted Salomé presenting the head of Saint John the Baptist - it created quite a surprise in early July of this year. Announced at around $100,000, it finally sold for $433,000 - over four times its estimate - giving the Neapolitan artist a new auction record at more than double her previous record ($190,500), hammered in 2021.

This price inflation clearly shows a new 'market recognition'. The result rewards a major female figure of Neapolitan Baroque, a worthy heir of Caravaggism and a contemporary of Artemisia GENTILESCHI (1593-c.1654). In an era when women artists were marginalized, De Rosa obtained exceptional permissions to paint in churches and managed to impose her signature in a world dominated by men.

With the rediscovery of this Salome, the history of art gets a new page, and the market finally recognizes the talent of this Baroque prodigy who has been eclipsed for too long.

A Turner, previously acquired for $500, changes the game

Reaching even higher than the masterful painting by Diana de Rosa, The Rising Squall, a forgotten Turner painting - previously purchased for $500 - caused a serious market commotion earlier this year. Painted in 1792 by a 17-year-old J.M.W. Turner while still a student at the Royal Academy, the work had disappeared from the radar for 150 years. Last year, however, it went to auction for $506, mistakenly attributed to an obscure disciple of Julius Caesar Ibbetson. It was only during a cleaning that the master's signature appeared, revealing the true identity of the author and the importance of this milestone in the evolution of his style. Offered for sale on 2 July at Sotheby's - on the occasion of J.M.W. Turner's 250th Anniversary - the painting dwarfed its estimate ($270,000 - $410,000) by reaching $2.5 million. According to specialist Julian Gascoigne, its new valuation is justified by the fact that it considerably upsets what we thought we knew about Turner's early works and the evolution of his technique.

"This significantly disrupts what we know, or thought we knew, about Turner's early work and our understanding of the evolution of his technique and style."

Julian Gascoigne in "One of JMW Turner's earliest paintings rediscovered after 150 years",The Guardian, June 6, 2025

Joseph Mallord William TURNER (1775-1851)

The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol. Oil/canvas, 59.8 x 74 cm

Sotheby's London, 2 July 2025. Estimated: $272,700 - $409,000. Final Price: $2.55 million

Klimt, Magritte, Claudel, Vlaminck in the forgotten treasures of private collections

Each rediscovery involves a scholarly investigation, mobilizing considerable research and art appraisal talents. The resurgence of Portrait of an African Prince (1897) by Gustav KLIMT (1862-1918), entrusted to historian Alfred Weidinger, perfectly illustrates this dialogue between science, history, and the market.

Lost after World War II, the striking portrait was presented in 2023 to the W&K (Wienerroither & Kohlbacher gallery in Vienna and New York) by a collector. The work was in fragile condition, tarnished by dirt and poorly framed, but one detail immediately caught the gallery's attention: a stamp proving that it came from the estate of a major Austrian artist.

The gallery then entrusted the study of the painting to Alfred Weidinger, a major Klimt specialist and author of Klimt's catalog raisonné in 2007. Indeed, Weidinger had been searching for this missing painting for twenty years. After studying the work carefully, he concluded that the work is indeed an exceptional Klimt portrait: that of an Osu prince from the region corresponding to present-day Ghana.

Offered for sale for $16.4 million at the Tefaf, the painting stands out as much for its artistic value as for its historical significance. A rare representation of an African dignitary by a renowned European painter, it illustrates the complex exchanges between Europe and Africa in the 19th century. Indeed, the rediscovery of this work is considered so important that a television documentary produced by InterSpot Film in 2025 will retrace the turbulent history of the work, from its disappearance to its reappearance on the market.

A legendary bronze by Camille Claudel

Another spectacular resurgence is that of a superb bronze sculpture titled L'Âge mûr, a mythical creation by Camille CLAUDEL (1864-1943) that disappeared from the radar over a century ago. Found by chance under a sheet in a Parisian apartment abandoned for fifteen years (very close to the Eiffel Tower), this copy numbered "1" is not insignificant: it inaugurates the edition of this major work, born in the painful wake of her breakup with Rodin. On 16 February 2025, at Philocale auctions in Orléans, the room held its breath; carrying an estimate of $2.1 million, the bronze reached $3.8 million, a new French record and Claudel's second-best-ever auction result.

Why such enthusiasm? Firstly, the historical significance: a first edition, a true milestone in Claudel's reception as an artist in her own right. Secondly, the extreme rarity of the work: very few copies circulate on the secondary market, and even fewer with such a cast number. Added to these factors is the attraction of the rediscovery story - a dormant masterpiece that miraculously resurfaces! Lastly, of course, we have institutional demand, with several international museums in the running, creating a tension that propelled the price well beyond expectations.

Read also: Provenance and 'the story': extras that can add considerable value to a work

Two 'new' works by René Magritte

On 8 March 2025, two previously unknown works by René MAGRITTE (1898-1967) were presented for sale in Caen (Normandy, France). Absent from the catalogue raisonné and previously unknown by the art market, these two works belonged to the family of Ernst Moerman, a close friend of the artist, for more than 50 years. They have been authenticated by the Magritte committee in Brussels, establishing their legitimacy and ensuring their 'impact' on the market

The first work, a small (25 x 21 cm) oil painting representing a blue sky with clouds and an embedded stone, was sold as a "painting-object" with an estimated price range of $160,000 to $217,000. However, it exceeded expectations by fetching around $300,000. This type of creation, where Magritte explores the boundary between art and everyday objects, is extremely rare on the market. Only one similar work, The Primitive Fact (1936), is listed and kept in a private collection in New York.

The second work, a drawing Untitled (Nu de face), sold for just over $100,000, at the low end of its estimate. Although less spectacular in terms of price, this work is significant because it illustrates Magritte's free and expressive exploration of the female body.

These rediscoveries highlight the extent to which the archaeology of private collections can reveal forgotten treasures, like this small, perfectly-dated canvas by Maurice de Vlaminck.

Maurice DE VLAMINCK (1876-1958) Le Champ de Blé (1906)

Oil/canvas, 36 x 50 cm

Casa d'Aste Capitolium, Brescia, Italy, 26 June 2025

Starting price: $17,600. Final price: $236,500

A Vlaminck work from the Fauvist period

Without being an absolutely major work by Maurice DE VLAMINCK (1876-1958), Le Champ de blé (1906) ticks all the boxes for a high-value rediscovery: a historical milestone, a good provenance story, typological rarity, and skillful marketing. Having remained invisible for half a century, this "ghost" - known only from an archive photo at the Wildenstein Institute - resurfaced in Brescia, at Capitolium Art, and created a small sensation. Priced at $17,600, it soared to $236,500: a result that can be explained as much by its artistic importance (a concentration of Fauvist energy in dialogue with Van Gogh in the aftermath of the 1905 Salon d'Automne) as by the solidity of its traceability (France → US private collection → Milan in the 1970s). The freshness of the market and the scent of 'rediscovery' did the rest, triggering fierce competition for this very early and extremely rare Fauvist work.

Coming soon… Salvador Dali and Guido Reni

These rediscoveries - always the fruit of a subtle blend of chance, intuition, and patient expert work - do more than simply bring forgotten masterpieces to light. They allow institutions to fill gaps in their collections and collectors to add rare pieces to their collections. They also allow art history to be rewritten before our eyes. Each discovery is accompanied by a fascinating narrative, transforming the auction into a true cultural as well as commercial event.

This autumn, other rediscovered treasures will be offered: at Cheffins (Cambridge), a drawing by Dalí - titled Vecchio Sultano and acquired for £150 in a garage sale - will be offered on 23 October with a starting price 200 times higher.

Further reading: Discovery of a masterpiece by Guido Reni

But the big 'rediscovery' event of the autumn will be hosted in Paris on 25 November when a masterful canvas by Italian artist Guido RENI (1575-1642) (image opposite) - authenticated by Eric Turquin's Parisian appraisal firm - will be offered for sale at Artcurial. After passing through the courts of Modena, Turin, and Vienna before disappearing for more than two centuries, this masterpiece has resurfaced today, intact, among the descendants of a Napoleonic general. Estimated at between 2 and 4 million euros, this glorious "ghost of art history" promises to generate Guido Reni's best auction result in France.