A painting left on a street in Spain has been identified as a stolen work by an Impressionist master and returned to its original owner.
Andres Hurtado, 57, who lives in Seville, Spain, found a painting on the roadside on May 27, according to British daily The Guardian on June 2. Living in another region, Hurtado had come to Seville with his family over the weekend when he came across the painting by chance. At first he assumed someone had thrown it away, and he took it home because he liked the gold frame more than the painting itself.
After returning home, Hurtado used artificial intelligence (AI) to check the painting's identity. Surprisingly, the result showed it was a genuine work by Joaquin Sorolla (1863–1923), one of Spain's leading Impressionist painters. Sorolla is well known for his distinctive depictions of light and beach scenes from the late 19th to early 20th century. In an interview with local media on June 1, Hurtado said he initially thought the price suggested by the AI was absurd, so he sent photos of the painting to an auction house in Madrid to have it verified. The auction house also confirmed it was a work by Sorolla. The painting, which depicts two boats moored on a beach, is estimated to be worth up to 150,000 euros (about 265 million won).
After learning it was genuine, Hurtado came across news that the work had been reported stolen and immediately notified the police. The police safely delivered the painting to the family of the original owner, who lives in Seville.
The original owner's family had cherished the painting for years and were so attached to it that they took it with them whenever they went on vacation, according to reports. This time as well, while leaving for a beach vacation last weekend, they had intended to load the painting into their car but mistakenly left it leaning against a wall and departed the house without it. The family, who only later realized the painting was missing, posted multiple times seeking its whereabouts but heard nothing until May 30.
After finally recovering the painting through this ordeal, the owner's family reportedly promised to give Hurtado, who picked it up and returned it, a small gift as a token of gratitude.
