They thought a painting in their TV room was a fake. It sold for $850K.

Malo de Lussac entered the tiny, dimly lit TV room in October, expecting the unremarkable as he assessed the value of the art and artifacts in his new client’s home in northern France. Then, a painting caked in dust and almost entirely hidden by a door caught the auctioneer’s eye.

Pay it no mind, his client told de Lussac. Yes, the family had long called it “The Bruegel,” but it was an affectionate dig at a painting that was clearly a fake.