Nicolas de Harlay, seigneur de Sancy Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully. Meanwhile he had been a second time converted to Catholicism, but his influence at court waned, and he retired from public life in 1605. He survived until 13 October 1629, leaving a "Discours sur l'occurrence des affaires". His son, Achille Harlay de Sancy (1581–1646), was bishop of Saint-Malo. The Sancy diamond's known history began circa 1570 in Constantinople when purchased by de Sancy. Something of a gem connoisseur, de Sancy used his knowledge to prosperous advantage. Henry III of France suffered from premature baldness and tried to conceal this fact by wearing a cap.
Love is in the Bin said he prepared the self-destruct mechanism at this time in case the work was ever put up for auction. Sotheby's London sold the painting at auction on 5 October 2018, at an artist-record price of £1,042,000. Within seconds of the gavel drop, the canvas began sliding out of the bottom of the frame and shredding itself to the audible sound of a siren and the surprise exclamations of attendees. The work was housed in a deep frame and was plugged in to facilitate built-in electrical lights, which powered the hidden paper shredder as well. Sotheby's said they had no foreknowledge