A painting found by a citizen on the street in Spain has been identified as a work by Joaquín Sorolla (1863–1923), a representative Spanish Impressionist painter, the British newspaper The Guardian reported on July 2 (local time).

Sorolla is a renowned Spanish painter famous as a master of light and beach landscapes from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

According to the report, Andrés Hurtado (57) found the painting on the street in Seville, southwestern Spain, on June 27. Upon realizing it was a stolen work by Sorolla, he returned it to its original owner through the police.

Hurtado discovered the painting by chance on the street while spending the weekend in Seville with his family.

He initially thought someone had discarded it, but he decided to keep it because he liked the gold frame it was in.

After returning home, Hurtado used artificial intelligence (AI) to discover that the painting was indeed a work by Sorolla.

In an interview with local media, he said, "The AI suggested an unbelievable price, so I called an auction house in Madrid and sent them a photo of the painting. The auction house confirmed it was a Sorolla piece."

The painting, which depicts two boats on a beach, is reportedly valued at up to 150,000 euros (approximately 265 million won).

After seeing news reports that the work had been stolen, Hurtado immediately reported it to the police.

The police returned the painting to its original owner, who resides in Seville.

The owner's family had possessed the painting for many years and would take it with them whenever they went on vacation.

They had planned to take the painting with them to the beach last weekend, but they accidentally left it leaning against a wall when they departed.

After realizing the painting was missing, they spent time in distress, posting requests for information about its whereabouts, before finally getting it back through the police.
 
(Photo: Getty Images)