Found on the Street: A Shocking Discovery of a 265 Million Won Painting

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 daily The Guardian reported on July 2 (local time).

Sorolla is a renowned Spanish painter famous for his mastery of light and beach landscapes in the late 19th and 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 rightful 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 take 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 that 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 artwork had been stolen, Hurtado immediately contacted 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 reportedly took it with them whenever they went on vacation.

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

After realizing the painting was missing, they posted notices everywhere asking for information on its whereabouts and were anxious until they received it back through the police.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.