A work by the painter Dürer found in a landfill by a young boy

Amazing and very valuable discoveries can be made in landfills. As proof, this 11-year-old boy found what he thought was a simple drawing among the trash. Years later, he discovered that it was actually a work of Renaissance art.

A 500-year-old German Renaissance print, discovered in a rubbish dump by an 11-year-old boy, has sold for £33,390 (around €40,000) at auction. The engraving, titled The Knight, Death and the Devilis signed and dated “1513. AD”. The signature has been positively identified as that of Albrecht Dürer, a painter and printmaker considered one of the most gifted artists of all time. Born in 1471 in Nuremberg, Germany, Dürer was one of the most important figures of the Northern Renaissance. He worked alongside renowned Italian artists – including Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci – and created works for Emperor Maximilian I.

As for the person who found this work of art, it is a certain Mat Winter. Now 24, the young Englishman explained that he found the work in the back of a car in a dump several years ago. He didn’t know what it was about at the time, but said he was attracted by the level of detail in the work. It was ultimately only as an adult that he realized its value and decided to show it to a specialist. The expert compared the engraving to other works by Dürer exhibited at the British Museum, and this helped to authenticate it.

This story reminds us that we can find the most beautiful treasures in the most unexpected places. To go further, discover 10 Renaissance paintings that changed art history.