Georges de la Tour's "The New born" is one of the most popular French paintings in the world. However, its author has been completely forgotten for more than three centuries. The painting, whose original meaning was only realised at the end of the 20th century, was successively attributed to painters from the northern schools or to masters of French or Spanish painting. It was only a matter of time before this great painter of the 17th century was never rehabilitated. When he was discovered, his paintings were exhibited all over the world and the exhibitions devoted to him were attended by record numbers.