A painting by French 19th century artist Eugène Delacroix representing a battle between Arab horsemen was sold for an impressive 46,5 million FF (US $ 7,75 million) to an American buyer on June 19th 1998 at Drouot.
The oil painting, measuring 81 x 100,5 cm was the original version of the copy painted by Delacroix in 1843 and now exhibited at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. It carried a pre-sale estimate of 10 millions FF ($ 1,67 million).
Delacroix (1798-1863) had presented it at the 1834 Paris Salon but the Jury had rejected it by nine votes against six.
No one in Paris expected such a bid despite the fact that a series of exhibitions on Delacroix are being held there and in several provincial towns.
However, the painter has been considered as one of the greatest French masters of the 19th Century whose influence over many schools was predominant between 1860 and 1900.
This bid will probably give much impetus to the French auction market which will face deep transformations in the months to come with the impending reform of the auctioneering profession there and the authorisation due to be given to foreign auction houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's to hold sales in the French capital notwithstanding the fact that Christie's has fallen under French control last month.
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