A rare painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger has been found hanging outside the door of a house in northern France. This outstanding work of art, one of the largest works of Brueghel the Younger, has been in the same family since 1900.

This rare work, 112 cm high, 184 cm wide and worth up to 800,000 euros, is a version of L’Avocat du village (The Village Lawyer), a scene that Brueghel reproduced 90 times. It is believed to have been written between 1615 and 1617.

Malo de Lussac of auction house Daguerre Val de Loire, who found the painting during an appraisal visit requested by the family, who wished to remain anonymous, said he could not believe what he had found.

“The family named the painting Brueghel, but they had no idea if it was real. They thought it was a copy, they just saw it as a decorative painting of little value,” de Lussac said.

“When we sent it to Germany for examination, and it was confirmed that it was Brueghel, the family understood its meaning and asked to be photographed together against the background of the painting that they had owned for so many years. It was funny and touching.”

“This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime unique finds. This is a very unusual painting in terms of its size and the fact that it is in very good condition,” said de Lussac.

According to the Guardian, the painting in question will be sold at the Drouot auction in Paris, along with a certificate of authenticity.

Who was Pieter Brueghel the Younger?

Born in Brussels, Pieter Bruegel the Younger was the eldest son of the 16th century Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder. His younger brother Jan was also an artist.

Brueghel the Younger painted landscapes, religious scenes (including various depictions of hell), village scenes and flowers, and copied his father’s most famous works.

The Village Lawyer (also known as the Tax Collector’s Office and other titles) is one of his rare original compositions and depicts a chaotic scene with villagers queuing for a lawyer’s office. Many of them are holding gifts such as eggs and poultry.

In addition to the signed and dated versions of this painting, there are also dozens of similar works that have not been confirmed to be by Brueghel or his workshop. An authentic version of the painting, dating from around 1617, hangs in the Louvre.