A rare marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin, *Le Désespoir* (ca. 1892–93), was rediscovered atop a piano in a private home in France and sold at auction for €1.1 million ($1.2 million). The auction, held by Rouillac at the Château de Villandry, lasted over 20 minutes and attracted bidders from China, Switzerland, and the United States, with a young American banker winning the piece. The sculpture had last appeared at auction in Paris in 1906 and exceeded its high estimate of €700,000.
The sale set a record for a rendition of this subject by Rodin and marked the 16th million-dollar sale for the auction house. The piece's provenance includes the financier Alexandre Blanc, Paris dealer Eugène Finschhof, and collector Paul Chevallier. The auctioneer noted the irony of the sculpture passing from a financier to a banker, quipping, "Despair inspires bankers." The result underscores sustained demand for Rodin's work, whose auction record stands at $20.4 million, and comes as the Musée Rodin prepares to open its first international branch in Shanghai.