Man picks up painting off street in Spain — it turned out to be a W265 million masterpiece

A Spanish man who picked up a painting off the street discovered it was worth 265 million won ($171,000) — and promptly turned it over to police once he learned its value, reuniting it with its rightful owner.

According to the Guardian and other outlets, Andres Hurtado, 57, found a painting in a gold frame lying on a street in Seville, in southwestern Spain, on June 27.

Hurtado had been visiting Seville with his family for the weekend. Assuming someone had discarded the piece, he took it back to his hotel room — drawn more to the frame than the painting itself — and then brought it home to Murcia.

Back home, he used AI to identify the work and discovered it was a painting by Joaquin Sorolla.

"AI suggested a price that seemed unbelievable, so I called an auction house in Madrid and sent them photos," he told local media. "They confirmed it was a Sorolla."

The painting, depicting two boats on a beach, is valued at up to 150,000 euros ($171,000).

After seeing reports that the work had been reported stolen or lost, Hurtado contacted police. "I explained to them that I hadn't stolen it — I found it on the street," he said. Police returned the painting to its original owner's family in Seville.

The family had owned the work for many years and brought it with them on vacations. That weekend, they had loaded it into the trunk of their car for a trip to the beach, but set it against a wall on the sidewalk while packing and drove off without it.

When they realized the painting was gone, they posted appeals for information about its whereabouts but heard nothing back.

After police returned the painting, the family reportedly promised Hurtado a small gift in gratitude.

Joaquin Sorolla (1863–1923) was a Spanish painter celebrated for his luminous depictions of light and beach scenes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His best-known works include "Strolling on the Seashore" (1909) and "Horse's Bath" (1909).