You must have heard that Hindi song, whose lyrics are, ‘Maybe the diamond is coming out of the coal mine…’. In this song the hero addresses his heroine as ‘Heera’. But many times such news is heard when some precious thing is found in the garbage heap. Today we are going to tell you about one such incident, which the person himself has shared on the foreign news site Metro (metro.co.uk). The name of this person is Matt Winter. At the age of 11, Matt found an old painting among a pile of garbage. He picked up that painting from the garbage heap and brought it to his home and kept it safe. Years later, one day when Matt put that painting up for online auction, people started bidding heavily on it. What he thought was an ordinary painting was actually a historical heritage. Matt’s luck brightened with the auction of this painting.
Matt told that since I was 10 years old, I had an eye for antiques. I felt that these things should be preserved. In such a situation, I made a place in my aunty’s garden and whatever things I found, I used to save them. Matt further said that at the age of 11 I discovered this painting. Actually, I was going towards Cranbrook Tip when six or seven cars came near me. Before I could understand anything, they started removing garbage bags and unwanted items from the car. Then my eyes fell on a painting kept in his car. A large picture of an armored warrior on horseback with his dog. He was going after a devil and a figure of death. I thought it was great. I immediately went to the woman and asked if she was going to throw away the painting? The woman nodded yes, so I said can you give it to me? She might have been shocked, but she seemed happy to be rid of it. She smiled and said- ‘Of course!’
Albrecht Dürer, one of the renowned artists, made this painting 500 years ago. (Photo Credit- Rare Book Auctions)
I was very happy to see that painting. I kept it in the shed in aunty’s garden. It was not touched at all in the shed for 12 years. I checked it from time to time, but it was in exactly the same condition as I had found it. Then, about 18 months ago, I started clearing out my old antiques. I found this extremely valuable. It was later discovered that the painting was the original version of Night, Death and the Devil, painted by Albrecht Dürer, a contemporary of Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci and one of the most celebrated artists of the Renaissance. It was 500 years old. It was put up for auction in September 2024, which Matt sold for £26,500 (29 lakh 23 thousand rupees). Matt said that he was beyond happy. If I had not picked it up that day, it probably would have been thrown in the garbage. But today I am very happy. Yes, it is true that I brought it home as a childhood hobby, but if I had not done so, an important part of history would have been lost forever and that is a sad thought.
What will you do with the money?
Matt told that I am planning to buy a new car with the money received from the sale of the painting. However, it won’t be the Rolls Royce I dream of owning. I don’t expect to make that much money every time, but you never know what you might find. One man’s trash may actually be another man’s treasure, which may be the case with me. Matt said that after logging into the online auction, I patiently waited for the bids on my painting. Gradually it crossed the figure of £1,000, £5,000, even £10,000. Then finally I had to sell it at a bid of Rs 29 lakh 23 thousand.
Tags: Strange and strange, The news is coming, OMG News
FIRST PUBLISHED: October 4, 2024, 11:40 IST