Renaissance art
Bought Albrecht Dürer drawing at a flea market for $30 – it’s worth more than 10 million
Albrecht Dürer’s drawing “The Virgin and Child”
© Agnews Gallery
A drawing by the 16th-century painter Albrecht Dürer sold for just $30. In truth, it could be worth over $10 million.
Albrecht Dürer, who died in 1528, is considered both the greatest German artist of his time and one of the most important artists and intellectuals of the European Renaissance, according to Agnews Gallery – the London auction house that now owns a newly acquired Dürer work of art. The drawing that has now been rediscovered is entitled “The Virgin and Child,” as summarized by the CNN broadcaster, which was the first to report on the find.
Drawing by Albrecht Dürer probably dates from 1503
As Dürer’s career and legacy have been extensively studied since his death, it is extremely rare to find any unknown works by him. Agnews stated in a press release that this drawing “has been the subject of great interest since its rediscovery”. Boston-based art collector Clifford Schorer, who is a consultant to the gallery, told CNN that he happened upon the rare artwork, believed to have been completed in 1503, on his way to a party in Massachusetts in 2019.
He forgot to get a party favor and stopped off at a bookstore that sold anthologies on the way. The bookseller told him his friend had a Dürer drawing and asked him to look at it. Schorer agreed, but held little hope because it had been more than 100 years since the last time an unknown “Caliber” drawing by the artist was discovered, he told CNN.
Fake or Masterpiece?
The artwork was purchased at a flea market from the home of an architect who was given the piece by his father, Schorer said. When he came weeks later to examine the artwork, he was amazed at its quality. Schorer adds that he told the owner, who asked to remain anonymous, “I think it’s either the biggest fake I’ve ever seen or a masterpiece.”
According to Schorer, the work of art has undergone a technical age analysis and bears the artist’s signature. He believes that it is worth “eight figures”, i.e. more than ten million dollars. “He was a maestro in black and white, and his famous prints […] inspired artists around the world.”
Swell: CNN, Agnew’s gallery