Long-Lost Watteau to Hit Block at Christie's

LONDON—A painting by the French master Jean-Antoine Watteau that last turned up 160 years ago has been found in a private home in England and will be sold at Christie's in London on July 8, reports Reuters. La Surprise, which is expected to fetch $3 million to $5 million, depicts an actor playing a guitar and glancing at an amorous couple. It was last noted in a probate valuation in 1848, when it was bequeathed to the family of the current owners, who had no idea of the painting's worth. The work was found during a routine valuation in the sitting room of an English country house. The only other version of the work is a copy in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace. The current record for a Watteau is $4.75 million.