The Acteon auction house did not identify the winning bidder for the painting, "Christ Mocked", at the sale in Senlis, outside Paris. READ ALSO: Old French lady discovers Italian Renaissance masterpiece in her kitchenThe selling price, which included costs, smashed the initial estimate of between four million and six million euros. Bidding began at three million euros, with only three of the eight bidders present at the auction. Historians say only about a dozen works on wood - all unsigned are thought to have been made by the Italian artist. His more natural and nuanced depictions marked a turning point for Italian painters still influenced by highly stylised Byzantine art.

Source: The Local October 28, 2019 08:15 UTC