A family thought this Rodin sculpture on their piano was a copy for years; experts rediscovered the missing 1892 original and sold it for about $1 million
A modest marble figure that had rested on a family’s piano for years was long assumed to be a replica, until a French auctioneer recognised its potential and set in motion a six‑week investigation. The sculpture, titled Despair, turned out to be an authentic 1892 work by Auguste Rodin, a rare survivor from the artist’s prolific "Gates of Hell" series.
The authentication was confirmed by the Comité Rodin, which meticulously examined provenance records and stylistic details before declaring the piece genuine. Its disappearance after an 1906 sale had left it absent from catalogues for more than a century, making the find an "extremely rare" event, as described by auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac.
When the marble was finally offered at a Paris auction, it attracted fierce bidding and ultimately sold for €860,000 (about $1 million). The sale not only restored a missing fragment of Rodin’s legacy but also highlighted how even modest household objects can conceal extraordinary art history.