Spanish police have announced the recovery of a missing Pablo Picasso painting worth nearly $700,000, which vanished earlier this month while being transported to an exhibition in southern Spain.
The 1919 artwork, titled “Still Life with Guitar”, is a gouache and pencil composition valued at approximately 600,000 euros. It belongs to a private collector based in Madrid and was scheduled to be displayed at the CajaGranada Foundation as part of a major exhibition.
However, when the transport truck arrived in Granada and its contents were unpacked on October 6, curators made a startling discovery — the Picasso was missing.
All other artworks had been under continuous video surveillance from the moment of their arrival, according to the foundation. The disappearance prompted an immediate police investigation. “It May Never Have Been Loaded”
On Friday, Spain’s National Police confirmed the painting had been found, but declined to reveal where it was located.
“Initial investigations suggest the painting may never have been loaded onto the transport truck,” the police said in a statement.
Authorities also released images showing forensic experts examining the recovered package, still sealed and intact.
The CajaGranada Foundation expressed relief at the recovery and said it hopes the piece will soon join the exhibition, which opened on October 9 and runs until January 11.
A Target for Art Thieves
Picasso’s works, among the most sought-after in the world, have long been targets of art theft. Just recently, two of his paintings fetched over $140 million at auction.
In one of the most infamous heists in art history, more than 100 of Picasso’s pieces were stolen from the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France, in 1976 — all of which were eventually recovered.
Born in Malaga, Spain, in 1881, Picasso became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, pioneering Cubism and leaving behind an artistic legacy that continues to shape modern art decades after his death in 1973.
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