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Picasso, the stolen print that reappeared among the dust of an apartment
For years, the whereabouts of a Pablo Picasso print remained shrouded in mystery. The work, titled Torero , had been stolen in 2018 from Bill DeLind's Milwaukee art gallery. Since then, the gallery owner assumed he would likely never see it again.
The story took an unexpected turn last week when Milwaukee police contacted DeLind to ask if he could identify a work of art found by an apartment owner during the cleaning of a home that had been left empty after the tenant was evicted.
It didn't take long to confirm its identity. DeLind immediately recognized the print as the piece that had disappeared from his gallery eight years earlier. One of the most obvious pieces of evidence was still on the back of the work: the DeLind Fine Art Appraisals label, affixed by the gallery in 2018, remained intact on the frame.
"Indeed, it was mine. The circle is complete," explained the gallery owner, who admitted to being speechless upon discovering that the piece had reappeared.
An exceptional work among Picasso's prints
The recovery is especially significant because of the characteristics of "Torero ." It is one of approximately 30 known prints bearing Picasso's signature, which helps explain its high value in the art market.
When it was stolen, the piece had been valued between $35,000 and $50,000. DeLind believes its value hasn't changed much since then, although the unusual story now surrounding the work could place its current value closer to the upper end of that estimate.
The discovery occurred under unusual and fortuitous circumstances. Tim Dertz, the apartment owner, explained to WISN-TV that he found the print while cleaning the apartment of a recently evicted tenant. The artwork was hanging on a wall, apparently for a long time.
The condition in which it was found also drew attention. According to Dertz, the piece had accumulated a significant amount of dust on its upper surface, a sign that it had been there for an extended period without receiving any attention.
The investigation remains open.
Milwaukee police are currently holding the artwork in custody while they continue to investigate the circumstances of the theft and its subsequent journey. The Police Department noted that, generally speaking, the statute of limitations for theft and property crimes is usually six years, but clarified that the investigation remains open.
The exact circumstances surrounding the engraving's journey from the gallery to the apartment where it was found have not yet been publicly clarified. The FBI in Milwaukee has also not commented on the case.
The artwork had been delivered to DeLind to be sold through his gallery. It will now remain in police custody until its owner and the insurance company involved in the case resolve the situation.
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