$1 Million Mexican Painting Found in the Trash

Filed in archive Latin Culture on October 24, 2007

Some people are just lucky b... Seriously, look at what Elizabeth Gibson found in the trash, on the northwest corner of Broadway and 72nd Street in Manhattan: "Tres Personajes" (Three People), a painting by 20th-century Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo, which was stolen 20 years ago.

Experts say the painting - a largely abstract depiction of a man, a woman and an androgynous figure in vibrant purples, oranges and yellows - is in miraculously good condition and worth about $1 million. On Nov. 20 it is to go on the block at Sotheby's as one of the highlights of a Latin American art auction.

The case was being investigated by the F.B.I, and James Wynne, the agent in charge of the case, said:

"Finding a $1 million painting in the garbage is very unusual. It's a real New York story."

Very unusual?? Are you kidding me? I wonder why the FBI couldn't find the painting in 20 years; they have such intelligent and bright people working for them!

As Gibson said, "this was truly an appointment with destiny". She will receive a $15,000 reward from the painting's owner, plus a smaller finder's fee from Sotheby's. Read the hole story, it's unbelievable: One Person's Trash Is Another Person's Lost Masterpiece