A 55-year-old man who purchased a rare drawing for $30 later discovered it was worth much more than what he bought it for, the New York Post reported Wednesday.
Clifford Schorer bought “The Virgin and Child with a Flower on a Grassy Bank,” engraved by artist Albrecht Dürer, for $30 from an anonymous buyer, and it might be worth $50 million, according to the New York Post. He discovered the piece after picking up a gift for his co-worker’s retirement party at a rare book dealer, the outlet reported.
Schorer said the drawing “looked like a typical print of Madonna and child” but when he viewed a “higher resolution image,” he was “dumbfounded,” according to the outlet. (RELATED: Bowl Purchased For $35 At Connecticut Yard Sale Could Be Worth Up To $500,000)
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 19: A pen and black ink drawing by Albrecht Dürer titled “The Virgin and Child with a Flower on a grassy Bench” is seen during a photo call at London Art Week dealer Agnews, on November 19, 2021 in London, England. The unpublished pen and black ink drawing was recently rediscovered at a house sale in the US. The piece will be included in an upcoming exhibition at Agnews, titled “Dürer and His Time”, running from November 20 to December 12, 2021. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
After reviewing the drawing at a friend’s residence, Schorer remarked that it was “either a masterpiece or the greatest fraud in the world,” according to the New York Post. Schorer told the outlet he “believes it will be worth a record price” that is worth “at least $50 million.”
Schorer said he plans to sell the Dürer drawing, the New York Post reported.
“If you hope to sell it in a certain year, you will be out of luck. This is the find of my life,” he continued. “Wherever it ends up, I would want to visit it.”