According to the London auction house Agnews Gallery, which owns the painting titled The Virgin and Child, the artwork belongs to Albrecht Dürer, who died in 1528, considered the greatest German artist of his time and one of the most important artists and thinkers of the European Renaissance.
"Because Dürer's artistic journey and legacy has been studied in depth since his death, it is very rare to find works unknown to him," the auction house said in a statement, noting that this drawing has been "a subject of great interest since its rediscovery."
About how this painting was rediscovered, Clifford Schurer, a Boston art collector and auctioneer, said he saw the rare artwork, which he believes was completed in 1503, “by chance on his way to a party in Massachusetts in 2019.” ".
He added that "he had forgotten to bring a gift to the party, so he made a tour of a bookstore on his way, where the seller told him that his friend had a drawing of Dürer, so he decided to take a look at it", but he did not have much hope because the last time he was discovered An unknown drawing of the artist's "heavy eye", it was more than 100 years ago, he said.
Schurer explained that, "The artwork was purchased in a yard sale in the home of an architect, who had received the painting as a gift from his father, the art dealer, according to what the American network "CNN" reported.
He continued: "When I arrived to inspect the artwork weeks later, I was amazed at its quality, and told the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, that it was 'either the greatest forgery I have ever seen or a masterpiece.'"
After purchasing the painting, Schurer embarked on a three-year journey to verify the artwork, which included taking 17 international trips around the world to consult experts.
This included a meeting at the British Museum in London in December last year, where the drawing was examined by scholars in the field along with other work on paper by Dürer.
Schurer said that "the artwork was subjected to an artistic analysis according to age, and bears the hallmark of the artist," and is believed to be equal to "eight figures", and its value may exceed 10 million dollars.
He continued, "It is probably fair to say that he is one of the greatest graphic designers who ever lived (Dürer), as he is a pioneer in engraving and painting. He was a black and white maestro, and his famous engravings inspired artists all over the world."
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