Author Jiri Kuchar put seven of the paintings on display for reporters at the convent in Doksany in northern Czech Republic where he had identified them. Today, he said, they are probably worth about 50 million koruna (£1.7 million). "Nobody believed me it could be true," Kuchar said of his findings. The author, who calls himself "an amateur and enthusiast," has written about his findings.

Credit : Petr David Josek/AP