Lost painting brings in $750K for Pittsburgh Public Schools

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A painting that Pittsburgh Public Schools officials lost for 80 years has brought $750,000 in found money to the cash-strapped school district.

The painting by French impressionist Henri Le Sidaner was donated to the district in 1933, but school officials somehow lost track of it until January.

On Wednesday, the 40- by 32-inch painting titled "Interior" brought $750,000 at an auction in New York's famed Sotheby's, which waived its selling costs. The painting was expected to bring $350,000 to $450,000.

The district opted to sell the painting because most of the artists in its collection are from the Pittsburgh area, and because the painting is too valuable to display in a school.

Superintendent Linda Lane and others watched the auction online and said, "We're all pleased it went as high as it did."

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