A British art dealer might have been pleased after winning a set of Claude Monet paintings at an auction in France, but it wasn't until later that he discovered just how lucky he was.
According to the Guardian, Jonathan Green, the director of the Richard Green Gallery in London, said he discovered another Monet pastel taped behind one that he had purchased.
An art technician holds Claude Monet's 1968 piece "Etude de ceil" at the Richard Green stand at Masterpiece Fair, June 23, 2015 in London. (Rob Stothard/Getty Images)
"We were very excited," Green told the Guardian about the discovery, declining to reveal how much he paid for the paintings originally. "Pastels by him are incredibly rare. These are a pointer to his future. ... You can see his fascination with light."
The previously unknown Monet depicts a lighthouse on a jetty. It had been hiding behind another painting that was a wedding present from art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel to his daughter in 1924. The painting remained in the same family until it went up for auction in 2014. ITV News reported that it's unclear if the family knew of the hidden painting.
An art technician holds "La Jetee," a verso piece on Claude Monet's 1968 piece "Etude de ceil," at the Richard Green stand at Masterpiece Fair, June 23, 2015 in London. (Rob Stothard/Getty Images)
Green told ITV News that the painting dates back to the 1860s, revealing some of the artist's earlier work.
"He wasn't the great impressionist we know today; he was learning and experimenting," the gallery director said. "Is it going to be a museum-changing event? No. But it is very interesting."
An art technician holds Claude Monet's 1968 piece "Etude de ceil" at the Richard Green stand at Masterpiece Fair, June 23, 2015 in London. (Rob Stothard/Getty Images)
According to ITV News, Green will be selling these for about $2.2 million.
