One Pennsylvania woman might have lucked into one of the greatest antique finds in history after she paid $12 for a drawing that experts now believe could be worth up to $1 million.
As reported by ABC News, Heidi Markow, owner of Salvage Goods Antiques in Easton, Pa., bought the piece, a 17.5 inch by 16.5 inch charcoal drawing of a woman, at an auction in January.
"I didn't know what it was, I just knew that I wanted it," Markow told ABC News. "This piece just stood out to me as something special."
She said everything else in the auction went for thousands, yet the drawing cost just $12. After bringing it home and examining a faint signature, Markow began to believe it could be the work of French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
A stamp on the verso indicated it was once imported to the U.S. by a high-end importer and sold to a collector, Markow told ABC.
Markow researched the piece for months before connecting with a veteran art appraiser who confirmed her suspicions. For the final badge of authenticity, it is now being reviewed by an art history non-profit called Wildenstein Plattner Institute.
She told ABC she plans to sell it if it is found to be authentic, saying it could possible sell for “six or seven figures.”
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.