The print has been confirmed as Albrecht Dürer's Knight, Death and the Devil (1513). Now, this rare find is headed to auction, where it could fetch tens of thousands of dollars.
Rare Book AuctionsAlbrecht Dürer’s Knight, Death and the Devil (1513) discovered at a dump.
Thirteen years ago, an 11-year-old boy in England discovered an elaborate engraving at a dump site. Unaware of its value, he stored it in his home for over a decade before making the decision to have it appraised by an auction house this year. The auction house’s director, Jim Spencer, immediately recognized the engraving as something special.
Experts at the British Museum confirmed that the piece was a 500-year-old print of a woodcut engraving by the legendary German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, titled Knight, Death and the Devil (1513). Renowned for its intricate detail and craftsmanship, the piece is one of Dürer’s three “master prints.”
The engraving has been put up for auction with a conservative guiding price of £10,000 to £20,000. However, experts believe it could sell for much more.
An 11-Year-Old Boy Discovers A Rare Albrecht Dürer Print At The Dump
Mat WinterMat Winter, now 24, discovered the engraving as a child.
Thirteen years ago, 11-year-old Mat Winter was exploring a dump in England when he spotted an ornate engraving in a heap of trash in the back of a woman’s car. He asked the woman if he could have it, and she agreed.
“It’s got so much detail to it, and something told me that’s worth something but I never really knew what,” Mat Winter, now 24 years old, told the BBC.
This year, Winter decided to take the engraving to Jim Spencer, director of the auction house Rare Book Auctions in Staffordshire, England. Immediately, Spencer knew Winter had something special on his hands.
“When the vendor said it had been rescued from a tip, I didn’t expect much,” Spencer told ArtNet. “I felt a shiver of excitement as soon as I looked upon this print… and I was straight on a train to the British Museum.”
Spencer believed that the print was made by Albrecht Dürer, a German Renaissance artist known for his paintings and printmaking.
Public DomainA self portrait of Albrecht Dürer in 1498.
“I opened the package, removed the bubble wrap and staggered back in awe,” Spencer said in a statement. “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.”
Knight, Death and the Devil Goes Up For Auction
Hansons AuctioneersJim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, holding Dürer’s print.
At the British Museum, researchers pored over every detail of the print. After comparing it to three other examples, experts concluded that the piece was an authentic Dürer work titled Knight, Death and the Devil (1513), one of Dürer’s three master prints.
The detail that sealed the deal for experts was a faint scratch across the head of the knight’s horse. This imperfection was accidentally scratched on the copper plate prior to printing, and removed in later prints.
“Dürer’s earlier, more Gothic woodcuts were revolutionary,” Spencer told ArtNet, “but his copper engravings were even more amazing, awe-inspiring, almost superhuman – as this engraving shows.”
Spencer claimed that the work is among the most significant findings of his career.
“It’s the most important print I’ve ever cataloged and offered for sale,” Spencer said. “It was pasted down on a mount, probably around 1900, which will affect the value, but it’s a really nice impression with great clarity and contrasts, which is a massive bonus.”
The print has been prepared for auction, which is scheduled to close on the evening of Sept. 18. Bids will start at roughly £10,000 to £20,000, but Spencer says that in unmounted condition, it could fetch up to £200,000 (more than $260,000).
“We’re guiding conservatively, but broadly, at £10,000 to £20,000 in order to encourage people to look beyond the mounting and appreciate its overall condition, which is remarkably good considering its age and delicate nature,” Spencer explained. “This guide price should bring everybody to the party, so to speak, and it could easily spark a determined bidding battle. I hope the market recognizes its importance and rarity and bids accordingly. I’d love to see it race away for much, much more.”
After reading about this Albrecht Dürer engraving, dive into the true story of the Monuments Men, the task force who rescued millions of precious artworks from destruction during World War II. Then, read about seven legendary surrealist artists and their most famous works.
