- Lindsey Eaton and her boyfriend, Charlie, were moving into their new house when something caught Eaton’s eye
- In the house, they found a 4’5″ by 3’6″ scenic landscape painting with a thick, gold wooden frame, featuring vibrant and beautiful flowers
- Later, the 27-year-old decided to take a video of the painting and post it on her TikTok account hoping that someone on the app might be able to help identify its value
- Not long after posting, the video went viral, amassing more than 1.4 million views and 600 comments
Lindsey Eaton and her boyfriend, Charlie, were moving into their new house in Atlanta when something caught Eaton’s eye.
In the house, they found a 4’5″ by 3’6″ scenic landscape painting with a thick, gold wooden frame, featuring vibrant and beautiful flowers. At first glance, Eaton, 27, wasn’t surprised, as the previous owners had left things behind, including two other paintings, though those weren’t as large nor as striking as this one.
However, when she and Charlie later pulled out the painting for a closer look, Eaton tells PEOPLE exclusively that they were “shocked by how pristine and beautiful it was.”
“We honestly have no information about its origins,” she says, adding how the previous owners were already living overseas for a year before selling the house. “The sellers never mentioned most of the things they left behind, including the painting. There are no signatures or markings on it that give any clues.”
“My mom suggested I hang it up and design my room around it, while my boyfriend joked about selling it on Facebook Marketplace for $25,” she continues. “As for my dad, he suggested I keep the frame and replace the painting with an LSU poster, since I went to school there.”
Courtesy of Lindsey Eaton
But a little while later, as the couple was settling in and organizing different areas of the house, Eaton was cleaning out the shed where the painting had been stored when she had an idea. She decided to take a video of the painting and post it on her TikTok account, hoping that someone on the app might be able to help identify its value.
Not long after posting, she noticed the TikTok video go viral, amassing more than 1.4 million views and 600 comments.
“The way I’d go hang it up so quick in the house 😂,” one user comments.
“Google says it is Huge Garden Scene Painting On Canvas, John Sloan,” someone else says.
Another user writes, “Idk ask Leo from Love is Blind.”
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“The comments are absolutely hilarious,” says the social media manager. “Some are actually informative, especially from art dealers, while others are just along for the ride. A lot of people keep telling me to do a Google reverse image search — which I already tried right away, but it didn’t bring up anything useful. Half the people are mad that I dragged it across the ground, and the rest just want to follow the journey.”
“They are full of funny theories. Some people think it’s haunted, some are convinced it’s worth a fortune and others say it’s probably worthless,” she adds.
Courtesy of Lindsey Eaton
Despite the comments urging her to, Eaton explains that she’s not going to contact the previous owners since they’re no longer part of the story. “Finders keepers,” she says, noting that she’d been told that everything left behind in the house is now hers.
“The previous owners left quite a bit for us to clean out, so it feels like they didn’t intend to take everything with them,” she explains. “Plus, they live overseas, and we were never in direct contact with them, which makes reaching out even more complicated.”
As for now, Eaton says she’s tried researching the painting in every way she can think of, but keeps coming up with nothing. She’s also reached out to an art auction house and is currently waiting on an estimate. She may even get a couple of different estimates to see what experts think. And of course, she’ll keep TikTok followers updated.
“Dream outcome? It turns out to be a one-of-a-kind painting worth millions,” she says. “But realistically, if it’s worth a couple of grand, that would be amazing — especially since we have some house expenses right now. Worst-case scenario, it’s been a fun adventure, and I’m enjoying the mystery.”
“That’s the lesson: You never know what hidden treasures you might uncover in a new home! Always lean on your community for help, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and stay curious — you never know where it might lead,” she adds.