Spanish man recovers forgotten €150k masterpiece using ChatGPT
A Spanish citizen has successfully returned a forgotten canvas to its rightful owners after using the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT to identify the artwork as a potential masterpiece. The painting, which experts indicate is a highly valuable original by the renowned impressionist master Joaquín Sorolla, had been accidentally abandoned on a public street during a family holiday preparation.
The discovery occurred during a recent weekend trip when Murcia resident Andrés Hurtado was walking through the city of Seville with his family. Hurtado noticed an ornate golden frame leaning against a public wall and, assuming the item had been discarded as waste, decided to salvage the object as a personal holiday souvenir.
The digital appraisal process
Upon returning home to Murcia, Hurtado uploaded photographs of the coastal landscape scene to ChatGPT to seek an initial opinion on its origin. The artificial intelligence platform instantly recognized the distinctive style of the Spanish impressionist and estimated the market value of the work to be approximately €150,000.
Prompted by the unexpected digital assessment, Hurtado immediately contacted a professional auction house in Madrid. Art experts evaluated the high-resolution images and confirmed a significant probability that the canvas represents an authentic work by Sorolla.
The institutional resolution
Local authorities subsequently clarified the unusual logistics that led to the masterpiece being left on a Seville roadside. The legal owners had possessed the cherished family heirloom for decades and customarily transported the canvas with them on annual vacations due to its deep sentimental value.
While packing their vehicle for their summer journey, the family inadvertently left the artwork propped against a wall outside their residence and departed without it. Upon realizing their oversight, the owners immediately launched a public missing-item campaign and notified law enforcement agencies.
After discovering the ongoing police search, Hurtado contacted the relevant authorities to clarify that he had merely secured the canvas from the street under the impression it was abandoned property. Law enforcement officials have since restored the Sorolla painting to the family, who publicly expressed their gratitude by promising a reward to the finder.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
