A $12 sketch sold in Pennsylvania might be an authentic artwork made by the artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

MONTGOMERY CO., Pa. — A Pennsylvania woman has potentially made a remarkable purchase of an original Renoir piece from the 1800s at a significantly low price.

That drawing now has the attention of a prestigious institute looking to certify its authenticity.

Heidi Markow, owner of Salvage Goods Antiques in Easton, Pennsylvania, says she recently saw the drawing at an auction.

She wasn’t sure why, but she knew she had to have it.

“I didn’t pick it up. I didn’t turn it around. I basically looked at it and I thought, ‘I just want that piece,'” Markow said.

She, and her business partners, walked away with the piece for $12.

Heidi, who is a certified art appraiser, says it didn’t take long before she realized this drawing of a nude woman was special.

The artwork features antique framing, a slightly faded signature, and a stamp on the back indicating its journey to the United States through a high-end importer, finally reaching a prestigious collector.

Markwo concluded this was the work of the legendary French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

But just to be certain, she called in a fellow art appraiser to make sure she wasn’t getting ahead of herself.

“He looked it over and said he agrees with me. So, he said, congratulations,” she says.

Heidi has since received an invitation for examination by the prestigious Wildenstein Plattner Institute, or WPI.

If the institute gives it a thumbs up it will, in effect, authenticate the drawing as an original Renoir.

Marcow says the question she struggles with now is what to do with this masterpiece if the WPI includes it in their digital catalog.

“After the Wildenstein Plattner Institute conducts its evaluation, it may be securely stored for a period to determine the next steps,” stated Markow, hinting at potential future decisions regarding the valuable find.

The lingering question is: if it is in fact a Renoir, how did it end up at auction in Pennsylvania?

At this point, no one seems to know the answer.

Meanwhile, the WPI is scheduled to inspect the piece early next month.

Once again, Markow says she isn’t sure if she will sell the masterpiece if it is authenticated, but if she does it could sell for upwards of $1 million.