Man Finds Abandoned Painting Worth 5.7 Million Baht
A Spanish man found an abandoned painting by master artist Joaquín Sorolla worth 5.7 million baht on a Seville street and returned it to its grateful owners after discovering its value through an AI search.
A Spanish man has recovered a painting worth 5.7 million baht that he found abandoned on a street in Seville. The man picked up the artwork simply because he liked its golden frame, not realizing it was an original piece by Joaquín Sorolla, a famous Spanish master known for his light and beach scenes valued at approximately 150,000 euros.
The painting's owners revealed they regularly brought the artwork on beach vacations and intended to place it in their car before departing. In their rush, they accidentally left the painting leaning against a wall. Upon discovering it missing, they posted a search notice describing it only as "a painting of sentimental value" without revealing the artist's identity to prevent exploitation.
Urtado, the finder who lives in Murcia about 525 kilometers from Seville, explained that he and his family assumed someone had discarded the painting, so they took it home because they liked the frame. He later used an AI system to research the artwork, discovered it might be a Sorolla, and sent it to an auction house in Madrid for verification. The company quickly confirmed it was an authentic original.
When Urtado saw the police search announcement with the owner's photo, he immediately contacted authorities to clarify he had not stolen the painting but simply found it abandoned on the street. Police safely returned the artwork to its family, who expressed their gratitude and prepared a small gift as a reward.
