Pieter Brueghel the Younger's painting *The Census at Bethlehem* sold for £5.2 million ($6.9 million) at Sotheby’s Old Master and 19th Century Paintings evening auction in London on December 3, exceeding its £3 million low estimate. The unsigned, undated oil-on-panel work, kept in the same collection for nearly 40 years, was the third-highest seller of the night. The auction overall achieved £30.7 million ($40.5 million), led by Rembrandt's *Saint John on Patmos* at £6.8 million, and Sotheby’s reported a nearly 50% increase in its Old Masters division sales this year.
The sale underscores sustained demand for Old Master paintings, particularly rare works by Brueghel the Younger, who produced 14 known versions of this composition. The result also highlights the market's appetite for works with strong provenance and seasonal appeal, as well as the growing strength of Sotheby’s Old Masters division, which has seen significant year-over-year growth.