Man Finds Million Dollar Masterwork Painting Hidden In Closet [PIC]

Robert Warren of Des Moines, Iowa recently found $4 million hiding in a closet. While it wasn’t an actual pile of cash, it was a lost painting by 16th-century Dutch artist Otto van Veen.

By austind03 on April 3, 2018
Otto van Veen, Robert Warren, Apollo and Venus, Des Moines, Metropolitan Museum of Art
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

A man in Des Moines, Iowa recently found around $4 million hiding in a closet. While it wasn’t an actual pile of cash, it was a lost painting by 16th-century Dutch artist Otto van Veen.

According to CNN, Robert Warren, the executive director of the Hoyt Sherman Place art complex, was searching through the gallery’s closet when he made the discovery. Hiding behind a table, he saw a painting that was suffering from water damage and cracking paint.

As he described the situation:

“I didn’t think it was anything of value. I wasn’t sure why it would’ve been in that closet.”

However, Warren noticed an auction sticker on the back of the painting and began looking into it’s history. Some investigative work lead him to uncover the truth behind the painting; titled “Apollo and Venus,” the painting is a masterwork by Otto van Veen (1556-1629) that’s worth at least $4 million (and possibly as much as $11 million). The piece had even hung in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art way back in the day.

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The real question, though, is how did the painting end up in Des Moines, Iowa?

Well, as it turns out, the Met loaned the painting out to a man named Nason Collins in the early 1900s. When Collins moved to Iowa, he took the painting with him, and it was later donated to the gallery by his granddaughter. However, it was never put on display due to the nude figures in the painting which was thought to be too suggestive at the time.

Despite how much the painting is now worth after restoration, there are no plans to sell it. As it turns out, Robert Warren plans on permanently displaying it in the gallery.

Head right here to see the painting for yourself. Also, let us know in the comments if you’ve ever discovered a hidden treasure in your home!

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