A 16th-century German Renaissance engraving found by an 11-year-old boy on a rubbish dump could sell for £20,000 (over $25,000).
Eagle-eyed Mat Winter spotted the black-and-white print with bags of rubbish thrown out by a woman at a tip.
He asked her if he could have it, and she agreed, so he took the A4-sized picture back to his home in Cranbrook, Kent.
Mat kept the engraving entitled ‘Knight, Death and the Devil’ in a cupboard for 13 years before having it valued earlier this year.
It turned out to be the work of German-born Albrecht Dürer, a painter and printmaker regarded as one of the most gifted artists of all time.
Completed in 1513, it is one of Dürer’s most famous and influential works.
Dürer was born in 1471 in Nuremberg, where the city was part of the Holy Roman Empire and became a key figure in the Northern Renaissance.
He knew renowned Italian artists, including Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci, and created works for Emperor Maximilian I, King of the Romans.
Mat, now 24, said: “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 engraving is expected to sell for between £10,000 and £20,000 but could fetch far more when it goes under the hammer at Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffs.
Director Jim Spencer said: “I’ve seen countless prints copying Dürer, from a much later period or produced by a different means, but I’d only ever seen the real thing in museums – until now.
“The owner sent it to me for appraisal.
“I didn’t have high expectations when he described how he’d rescued it from someone’s car boot at his local rubbish dump around ten years ago.
“I opened the package, removed the bubble wrap, and staggered back in awe. My hands were shaking as I held it up to the light.
“The laid paper was absolutely right for the period. The quality of the engraving was exceptional beyond words.
“I knew that only one person could’ve produced something like this – it had to be the hand of Dürer himself.
“It was simply too good to have been engraved by anyone else.
“With a magnifying glass, we were able to check that every minuscule line matched perfectly.
“It confirmed what we had thought and hoped. This was indeed the real deal.”
A key feature proving the engraving is the work of Dürer is a faint scratch across the head of the knight’s horse.
Mr Spencer added: “I checked our example, and the scratch was present. It disappears on later printings, so this sealed it. It was period and authentic.
“It’s the most important print I’ve ever cataloged and offered for sale.”
The engraving will be auctioned on September 18.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
