In a remarkable stroke of luck, British art historian Adam Busiakiewicz rediscovered a long-lost portrait of King Henry VIII.
Busiakiewicz was casually scrolling through X (formerly Twitter), when he noticed the painting in the background of a photo.
This portrait is part of a series of 22 commissioned in 1590 by a British politician, many of which remain missing.
The Photo That Sparked the Find
The painting resurfaced in a photo posted by Tim Cox, the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire.
The image, taken during a reception at Warwick's Shire Hall in early July, showed a group of people posing with several paintings hanging on the wall, including the portrait of Henry VIII.
Busiakiewicz's attention was caught by the portrait's distinctive arched top, a hallmark of the 22 commissioned pieces.
After spotting the portrait, Busiakiewicz reached out to Cox and arranged to examine the painting in person.
Upon inspection, his initial suspicions were confirmed.
The portrait, along with its original frame, matched the style and characteristics of the missing series attributed to the "Sheldon Master," an unidentified artist named after the commissioner of the portraits.
The rediscovered painting is now displayed in a museum in Warwickshire County.
Previous Discoveries
This isn't the first time Busiakiewicz has made a significant art discovery via social media.
In 2018, he identified a portrait by 17th-century artist Joan Carlile in a friend's wedding photo posted on Instagram.
"Social media is a crazy thing," Busiakiewicz told CNN. "Some people use it to watch cat videos and follow what's going on in the world, and others like me just look at what people have on their walls."
