German police say 17th century paintings found in highway dumpster
German police are appealing for information about the possible owners of two 17th-century paintings discovered in a highway rest stop dumpster.
Police said a 64-year-old man found the oil paintings at the rest stop near Ohrenbach in central Germany last month.
He later handed them in to police in the western city of Cologne.
An initial assessment by an art expert concluded the two framed paintings were originals, police said.
One is a self-portrait by Pietro Belloti showing the Italian artist smiling and dating to 1665.
The other is a portrait of a boy by the 17th-century Dutch artist Samuel van Hoogstraten, date unknown.
It’s unknown how valuable the paintings are.
Some auction websites suggest Bellotti paintings in the past have sold for more than $200,000, while van Hoogstraten has attracted prices above $400,000.
The hidden secrets buried in some of the world’s most famous artworks
View Gallery
Police have also not said how they intend to prove any claimed owners are telling the truth.
