Seventeenth-century paintings that had been considered lost for nearly a century have been found in Spain
Two paintings by the 17th-century Sevillian artist Lucas Valdés, which had been considered lost for nearly 100 years, have been found in Spain.
This was reported by Euronews.
The works in question are two oval oil paintings on pine panels depicting biblical scenes, which belonged to the Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes in Seville and adorned the main altar of its church.
In 1929, the works were loaned to the Ibero-American Exhibition, but after it concluded in 1930, the paintings were never returned.
The investigation began in September 2025 after the Spanish Ministry of Culture received a report from the Archdiocese of Seville regarding the potentially stolen works, which had been discovered in the catalog of a local auction house.
The police verified the origin of the paintings, confirmed their authenticity, and determined that these were indeed the very works that had disappeared after the exhibition nearly a century ago.
To prevent the sale, the paintings were temporarily seized. After negotiations with the owners, the works were returned, and on May 20, they were officially handed back to the Church of the Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes.
Lucas Valdés was a Spanish Baroque painter who also worked as a printmaker, sculptor, and architect.
We previously reported that the recent discovery of two skeletons, mutilated in the same manner, suggests that limb amputation was used as a punishment during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in China, over 2,000 years ago.
We also recall that during excavations in the ancient city of Laodicea in the Turkish province of Denizli, which is included on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites, a statue of Asclepius, the god of medicine in Greek and Roman mythology, and the head of a statue of his daughter Hygieia were discovered.
