Incredible 19th century ‘Mona Lisa’ painting worth fortune found hidden away in most unlikely of places

A remarkable 19th century painting has been miraculously found hidden away in a storage closet at a closed-down seafood restaurant.

People cleaning out the space discovered the 1844 oil painting of John Beale Davidge, a historic surgeon who became known to locals after a deadly yellow fever outbreak plagued Baltimore in 1797. 

He then went on to teach courses in medicine before founding the College of Medicine of Maryland, now the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in 1807. 

The work of art was stumbled upon on May 29 inside Bertha’s Mussels, an eatery in Fells Point that was shut down in 2023, according to a July 15 news release from the university. 

Though the painting once ‘hung on Bertha’s walls,’ it eventually became forgotten and locked in an abandoned closet until Carolyn Brownley, who was helping clean that day, discovered the relic. 

Brownley immediately contacted her good friend Meg Fielding, the director of the History of Maryland Medicine at MedChi, about the find before it was donated and rehoused to the medical school. 

Larry Pitrof, the executive director of the Medical Alumni Association of the University of Maryland, compared the painting to Mona Lisa – the highest-valued artwork ever according to the Guinness World Records with a $1 billion price tag.

‘This is the only portrait of Davidge that we’re aware of that exists. It is certainly the oldest. Until another one shows up, this is our Mona Lisa,’ Pitrof told The Baltimore Sun. 

The 1844 oil painting of John Beale Davidge was found inside a storage closet at a vacant seafood restaurant on May 29. (Pictured: Meg Fielding holding the piece of art) 

Davidge, a historic surgeon, taught courses in medicine before founding the College of Medicine of Maryland, now the University of Maryland School of Medicine (pictured), in 1807.

After finding the historic piece, Brownley texted Fielding, telling her: ‘This painting was found among the many relics as we were cleaning out Berthas in preparation for the foreclosure auction,’ the Baltimore Fishbowl reported. 

‘Seems like something that should have a home in the medical archives somewhere. He was quite a guy! founder of the University of Maryland School of Medicine after whom Davidge Hall is named.’ 

Despite sitting in the closet for centuries, when Fielding got her eyes on the painting, fitted with a plaque bearing Davidge’s name, she said it was in good condition and only needed a proper cleaning. 

‘This is such a Baltimore story,’ Fielding told The Baltimore Sun. ‘I knew who it was right away.’ 

Fielding immediately rushed to tell Pitrof what was discovered, leaving him in ‘disbelief.’ 

‘I knew she knew what she had, but I was still in disbelief,’ he recalled. 

‘I had a look at him, and I was like, “Oh my goodness gracious, Meg! How did you come upon this thing?”‘

According to Pirtof, the newly discovered painting is ‘probably’ the oldest surviving portrait of the school’s founder and first dean. 

Days after it was spotted, Fielding purchased the painting for an undisclosed amount from Tony Norris, the former owner of Bertha’s Mussels – a restaurant only two miles from Davidge Hall (pictured)

The painting had a plaque bearing Davidge’s name (pictured)

Days after it was spotted, Fielding purchased the painting for an undisclosed amount from Tony Norris, the former owner of Bertha’s Mussels – a restaurant only two miles from Davidge Hall. 

In 1807, Dr. Davidge decided to construct a small building on the campus where he and his colleagues, Dr. James Cooke and Dr. John Shaw, to hold lectures and educate students. 

It was there that they also performed dissections, something that was considered a ‘danger’ at the time, per the Medical Alumni Association for the University of Maryland. 

‘There was danger in teaching anatomy during this time because of the public outcry that usually occurred whenever the act of dissecting cadavers was discovered,’ the website detailed. 

Rage grew so much, that just after a week of opening the doors to the building, ‘a riot broke out resulting in complete destruction of the edifice.’ 

That same day, ‘resolution establishing the new medical school was introduced in the Maryland General Assembly,’ the site read.

Davidge was born in Annapolis, about 50 minutes outside of Baltimore, in 1768. He  died at the age of 61 in 1829. 

He was the son of John Davidge, a former captain in the British Army. 

When he was young, his single mom tried to get him to become a cabinet maker, but he dreamed of being in the medical field. 

He was so passionate about becoming a doctor that Davidge financed his educations by ‘obtaining aid from friends and coming into possession of some slaves through the death of a relative,’ according to mdhistoryonline.net, a page that details the history of medicine in the state from 1752-1920. 

In 1807, Dr. Davidge decided to construct a small building on the campus where he and his colleagues, Dr. James Cooke and Dr. John Shaw, to hold lectures and educate students

Davidge owned eight slaves, per the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s 1807 Commission on Slavery and Racism. 

‘We don’t know what happened to his slaves or whether he eventually freed them,’ Pitrof stated. 

‘We didn’t find evidence in his last will and testament that he owned any slaves at the time of his death.’ 

During the yellow fever epidemic in Baltimore, Davidge stunned locals after he decided to stay and treat affected patients. 

‘No one knew where yellow fever came from. Doctors like everyone else died from yellow fever, and doctors like everyone else fled for the hills. But not John Davidge,’ Pitrof said. 

‘He had a theory that yellow fever wasn’t contagious, which turned out to be true. The common mosquito was the culprit. He stayed in Baltimore and treated patients with yellow fever and was a calming presence in the city.’ 

He said the painting is currently on view inside the Davidge Building, but it will soon be removed temporarily when renovations take over on the building’s interior. 

‘The painting is stunning. Make no mistake, there will be a prominent location for it once the building reopens,’ Pitrof added.