The print discovered at the dump. (Photo: Hansons Auctioneers)
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. This proverb was surely true for a young boy in England over a decade ago. Scouring for fun items at his local dump, the young boy saw a woman unloading her car full of items to trash. Among them was an old, yellowed print pasted on a thin board. The young boy asked if he could have the print, and the woman agreed. It remained among the boy’s possessions for years, until the now 24-year-old became curious once more about the item. Upon showing it to experts, it was revealed to be an exceptional print by Albrecht Dürer, the famous German Renaissance artist. The print is now up for auction and expected to sell for about $26,000.
The boy, whose name is Mat Winter, was only 11 when he scampered around the dump in Cranbrook, England. He described his childhood find in a statement by the auction house which now offers the work for sale: “I’ve had an eye for antiques since I was 10 years old. I used to go to the local rubbish tip to see what I could find. I discovered some great stuff.
“One day a lady had some rubbish in her car including the print. I thought it looked interesting and asked if I could have it. She was more than happy to give it to me because she wanted it to go to someone rather than just throwing it away. I was 11 at the time and very happy she let me take it. It’s been tucked away in a cupboard at home with all my other antique finds for the last 13 years. Recently, I decided to get it checked out to see if it was as special as it looked. I was amazed to find out it was.”
The work turned out to be a copper-engraving print by Dürer known as Knight, Death and the Devil. It features a knight riding along, being pursued by a devil and symbols of death, such as skulls and an hourglass. The authorship of the print was immediately evident to Jim Spencer of Hansons Auctioneers. He consulted his brother and colleague, and then excitedly headed to London to compare the print with known examples of the work in the collections of the British Museum. A tiny scratch along the horse’s head demonstrated its validity, as this same flaw is present in the early authentic works.
This junkyard find is in fact a 15th-century Renaissance treasure from the German artist. Jim excitedly announced, “It’s the most important print I’ve ever catalogued and offered for sale. It was pasted down on a mount, probably around 1900, which will affect the value, but it’s a really nice impression with great clarity and contrasts, which is a massive bonus. In excellent, unmounted condition, this is a print that can command sums close to £200,000. We’re guiding conservatively, but broadly, at £10,000 to £20,000 in order to encourage people to look beyond the mounting and appreciate its overall condition, which is remarkably good considering its age and delicate nature.” This thrilling find by Winter has proved exciting for all involved, and for art history.
Over a decade ago, an 11-year-old boy in England found a treasure at the dump and saved it from the trash without knowing its true import.
Albrecht Durer sketched this self-portrait at age 13, only slightly older than the boy who found his print. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Now, he’s had it inspected by experts and discovered it’s a print by Albrecht Durer from the German Renaissance.
Durer at age 28 in 1500. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]
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