Rare Dürer artwork 'found at tip' fetches £26,500

A 500-year-old engraving by Renaissance creator Albrecht Dürer, which is said to person been recovered astatine a tip, has sold astatine auction for £26,500.

Mat Winter, from Cranbrook, Kent, said helium discovered the artwork erstwhile helium was 11 and was unaware of its worth until helium took it to a specializer arsenic an adult.

The engraving - titled Knight, Death and the Devil and signed and dated 1513 - was sold successful an online auction by Rare Book Auctions successful Lichfield, Staffordshire, connected Wednesday, surpassing a usher terms scope of £10,000-£20,000.

The auctioneers' director, Jim Spencer, said involvement successful the engraving had poured successful "from each implicit the world", but the palmy bidder was a backstage collector successful Germany.

"So I conjecture you could accidental this German Renaissance people is going home," helium added.

Including a buyer's premium, the bidder paid £33,390 for the engraving.

Mr Winter said helium saw the enactment successful the backmost of a woman's car while astatine the rubbish dump arsenic a child, and asked her if helium could instrumentality it.

"It’s got truthful overmuch item to it, and thing told maine that’s worthy thing but I ne'er truly knew what," helium said.

Mr Spencer said the merchantability was "a cleanable extremity to a communicative that started with Mat Winter rescuing this from landfill".

"The last effect is testament to the enduring value of Albrecht Dürer. Everybody is truly pleased with the outcome," helium said.

Dürer, calved successful 1471, was a large creator and printmaker who introduced Renaissance creation to Germany and bluish Europe.

Mr Winter has been contacted for remark pursuing the sale.