The Hotel Ritz in Paris found out it had a real Charles Le Brun painting on the wall of the Coco Chanel suite in January. The work was auctioned by Christie’s in Paris, setting a new artist's record of $1,885,194. The price was $400,000-657,000 higher than its pre-sale estimate. Although the identity of the buyer was not initially disclosed, a press release confirms the buyer as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
[via Artinfo]