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Mystery of 'Stolen' Painting Solved: Artwork Mistaken for Trash
🇸🇪 Sweden /Culture & Society

Mystery of 'Stolen' Painting Solved: Artwork Mistaken for Trash

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A valuable painting by Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla, mistakenly reported stolen in Seville, has been recovered.
  • A man found the artwork on the street, mistaking its ornate frame for the valuable part and discarding the painting itself.
  • The artwork, valued at over 1.5 million Swedish kronor, has been returned to its owners after the man realized his error and contacted authorities.

A case of mistaken identity and a valuable artwork has a happy ending in Seville, Spain. A painting by renowned Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla, which had been reported missing, has been found and returned to its owners.

The confusion began when a man discovered the painting on a street. He was drawn to the elaborate golden frame, assuming the artwork itself was merely trash. Unaware of its true value, he took the painting home, focusing solely on the frame.

I liked the frame, I didn't even look at the painting itself.

— The man who found the paintingExplaining his initial actions upon finding the artwork.

Unbeknownst to him, the painting depicted two boats on a beach and was a genuine work by Sorolla, a celebrated artist. Its estimated value exceeds 1.5 million Swedish kronor (approximately $145,000 USD).

The AI search gave crazy price suggestions, so I searched online and called an auction house in Madrid. I sent pictures and they quickly replied that it was a real Sorolla.

— The man who found the paintingDescribing his process of discovering the painting's value.

After taking the painting home, the man decided to investigate its origin. He used an AI tool for an initial assessment, which suggested high prices, prompting him to contact an auction house in Madrid. Upon sending images, the auction house quickly confirmed it was an authentic Sorolla.

Upon learning that the painting was considered stolen and was being sought by authorities, the man contacted the police, explaining it was a misunderstanding. He had not stolen the artwork but had simply picked it up from the street. The painting has since been returned to its grateful owners.

I hadn't stolen it, just picked it up from the street.

— The man who found the paintingClarifying his actions to the authorities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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