> They matched the price. > > The French antiques law doesn't allow expropriation of French art owners, only temporary export bans and right of first refusal fo

> They matched the price. > > The French antiques law doesn't allow expropriation of French art owners, only temporary export bans and right of first refusal for any purchase. So the only way it got sold for less than the auction price is if the owner separately negotiated a lower price for the Louvre, but that would be against their own interests, since they'd either get the 24M from the art dealers or from Louvre. Do they pay the price including the substantial auction house fees?