Andrés, the Murcian impersonator who found a Sorolla valued at 150,000 euros on a street in Seville, has already spent the 1,000 euro reward on a trip and gifts for his mother.
Andrés, the Lola Flores impersonator who found a painting by Joaquín Sorolla on a street in Seville at the end of June, has already received the reward for returning it. The family who owned the artwork sent him a Bizum of 1,000 euros, an amount that the unemployed Murcian has already spent.
“I bought my mother two or three things and I gave my partner money for the holidays that he paid for,” Andrés confesses to this newspaper. The discovery occurred when he was visiting the Andalusian capital to see the new dressing room of the Esperanza de Triana. It was then that he saw some tourists leaving a painting in a flower pot. “I approached and looked at it, there were two little boats and I really liked the frame,” he recalls.
What Andrés didn’t know was that those two boats were painted by Joaquín Sorolla, probably in the late 19th century. An initial appraisal valued the piece at up to 150,000 euros. Despite this, when the owner of the painting thanked him for its return and offered him compensation, Andrés did not haggle. “He told me that the painting belonged to his deceased grandfather, that he was a worker with three children and that he couldn’t give me more. And I’m not good at haggling…” he explains.
The family had reported to the police that they forgot the artwork while loading the car to go on holiday. They left it on the pavement to place their luggage and forgot about it. Andrés took it to Murcia, but upon learning through the media that a family had lost it, he did not hesitate to return it.
Andrés, who lives alone with his cat and is unemployed, has worked in a supermarket, but his true passion is drag. For the past 25 years, under the stage name Lola Montiel, he dresses and performs as Lola Flores and Sara Montiel. Now, with the reward, he has been able to afford a trip with his partner and indulge his mother a little.
The case has had a significant impact in Seville, where the discovery and return of the painting have been followed with interest. Andrés’ honesty has been praised by many, although he himself admits that the reward could have been greater. “But I acted well at all times,” he concludes.
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