The family of an unknown amateur artist in the U.K. discovered six Francis Bacon (1909-1992) paintings worth £200,000 on the back of their family member's artworks.

Amateur artist Lewis Todd (1925-2006), once a graphic artist from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, used the reverse of canvases that Bacon had discarded because he was unhappy with his work.

'The images are from a series of Screaming Pope paintings before Bacon was very famous and without his work on the back, they would be worth almost nothing," said Chris Ewbank, of Ewbank Auctions in Guildford, Surrey.

Bacon donated his abandoned artwork to the struggling Lewis, according to Ewbank Auctions. The works will be sold there on March 20.