Drawing bought at a yard sale for Rs 2k is actually worth more than Rs 74 crore

Team Udayavani, Feb 7, 2022, 10:16 AM IST

An unknown drawing that turned out to be a German Renaissance masterpiece was purchased in 2017 at a yard sale for just $30 (Rs 2,000). The piece has now been valued to be more than $10 million (Rs 74 crore).

The sketch is actually a hitherto unknown 16th-century work by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer.

According to accounts, it was first purchased in 2017 at a yard sale. Agnews Gallery, a London-based auction house, presently owns the work of art.

Dürer was regarded as one of the most important figures of the German Renaissance and the greatest artist of his time when he died in 1529.

‘The Virgin and Child’ is the title of the previously unknown drawing. According to Agnews, it’s incredibly rare to come across unknown works by Dürer because his legacy has been explored in-depth by scholars all over the world.

Clifford Schorer, a Boston-based art collector and gallery consultant, was the one who initially discovered the artwork in a Massachusetts bookstore in 2019.

According to accounts, the proprietor of the bookstore had requested that he examine the drawing that his friend had purchased. After thinking that the drawing might be an original by Durer, the bookstore sold it to Schorer.

After learning that the drawing was sold by an architect who had got it from his father’s art dealer, Schorer expressed his skepticism regarding its validity.

 

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“When you’re in my world you spend your life looking for unknown things that lead to fascinating research avenues … and I could see I was at the beginning of something extremely exciting,” Schorer told CNN.

According to Schorer, he set out on a three-year expedition to verify the artwork. Taking 17 international trips, he met experts from all around the world.

Schorer estimated the piece’s value to be more than $10 million after establishing its authenticity.