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A French family discovered their small marble sculpture, "Despair" by Auguste Rodin, which they had kept on a piano for years as a copy, turned out to be an original from 1892. The piece was sold at auction in France for €860,000 ($982,000). French auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac confirmed the sculpture's authenticity after a six-week investigation by the Comité Rodin and described it as "extremely rare."
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In March, Aymeric Rouillac, a French auctioneer, confirmed the authenticity of a small marble sculpture called "Despair," which a family had kept on their piano for years, believing it to be a copy. The piece was sold at an auction in France on Monday for €860,000 (£725,000; $982,000). Dating back to 1892, the sculpture originally went missing after a sale in 1906. Following a six-week investigation by The Comité Rodin, an organization dedicated to studying Rodin's works, the family's possession was verified as an authentic original work of French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Rouillac described it as "extremely rare." The sculpture is one of Rodin’s lesser-known pieces and its reappearance adds significant value to both art history and current auction markets.
Written for “Missing Sculpture Mystery” on 2026-10-11,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
A small marble sculpture a family had kept on their piano for years, believing it to be a copy, has been confirmed as an authentic work by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin.
asserted
it → keep → sculptor
The piece, called "Despair", sold at auction in France on Monday for €860,000 (£725,000; $982,000).
asserted
piece → call → 860,000
The 28.5cm (11 inches) figure dates from 1892 and had disappeared after a sale in 1906.
asserted
figure → date → 1906
The Comité Rodin confirmed its authenticity following a six-week probe.
asserted
Rodin → confirm → probe
Auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac described it as an "extremely rare" find and told the AFP news agency: "We have rediscovered it."
asserted
We → describe → it
Why did the family think the sculpture was a copy
asserted
sculpture → think → ?
According to BBC News, the family approached the French auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac, and he and his team then spent months investigating the origins of the piece.
uncertain
he → accord → piece
In March, Mr Rouillac brought the sculpture to the Comité Rodin, a research group dedicated to studying the works of Rodin.
asserted
Rouillac → bring → Rodin
The Comité Rodin confirmed the sculpture's authenticity after a six-week probe.
asserted
Rodin → confirm → probe
Mr Rouillac described the piece as an "extremely rare" find.
asserted
Rouillac → describe → find
The work was then put up for auction and sold on Monday.
asserted
work → put → Monday
BBC News reports that "Despair" is a work by Rodin from 1892.
asserted
Despair → report → 1892
Why had Rodin’s sculpture disappeared after the 1906 auction
The Comité Rodin found that the sculpture had disappeared after being sold at an auction in 1906.
asserted
sculpture → disappear → 1906
Mr Rouillac spoke about the discovery to the AFP news agency.
asserted
Rouillac → speak → agency
He said: "We have rediscovered it."
asserted
We → say → it
"Despair" was originally modelled by Rodin as part of his series of figures for The Gates of Hell.
asserted
Despair → model → Hell
The Musée Rodin says that the figure is a depiction of sorrow.
asserted
figure → say → sorrow
The Musée Rodin also states, as reported by the BBC, that the sculptor created other versions of the figure after it was positively received.
asserted
it → state → figure
The family's marble piece is one of the works confirmed by the Comité Rodin following its investigation.
asserted
piece → confirm → investigation
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