How a €600,000 Missing Picasso was Found

The foundation had reported a theft to Policía Nacional, noting, “We have also put ourselves at the disposal of those investigating, and we have complete faith that the case will be properly resolved.”

The mystery saw an end earlier this week, when the police recovered the work and posted on X, noting that the painting may not have been loaded onto the transport truck before the shipment left Madrid. The historical heritage brigade of the police is meanwhile continuing its investigation.

It has been reported that the work had been left behind near the door of the building from where it was to be transported by the transport company.  It had arguably been picked by a neighbour for safekeeping as she thought it was someone’s forgotten package or delivery. She only came to know about the missing Picasso few days later and when she realised that she was in possession of the artwork, called the police.

Over the years several Picassos have gone missing, including the 1938 Portrait of Dora Maar, which was stolen in 1999 from a yacht in Antibes, France, and was recovered in 2019 by the Dutch police. In 2007, two Picasso paintings were stolen from the Paris home of the artist’s granddaughter and in 2009 a sketchbook worth more than € 8 million was stolen from a Paris museum.