A long-lost painting by Peter Paul Rubens has been sold at auction in France. The work, titled 'The Crucifixion,' was considered lost for centuries and had been hidden for over 400 years. It was recently discovered in a private home in Paris. Initially, the painting was believed to be from one of Rubens' many workshops and was valued at around 10,000 euros. However, the auction's organizer, Jean-Pierre Osenat, immediately had a strong intuition about the piece and did everything possible to authenticate it. The painting was ultimately confirmed as authentic by the Rubenianum, a Rubens committee in Antwerp. A scientific analysis confirmed its authenticity and origin. A microscopic examination of the paint layers revealed not only white, black, and red pigments in the areas representing flesh, but also blue and green pigments that Rubens typically used for painting human skin. The painting was sold for 2.3 million euros (2.7 million dollars) at an auction held in Versailles on Sunday.