The mysterious theft of Picasso: how a work worth hundreds of millions of euros disappeared on its way to the exhibition
17 October 17:35
The Spanish police are investigating the disappearance of a painting by Pablo Picasso, valued at 600 million euros, which disappeared during transportation from Madrid to Granada.
The work was supposed to be part of the exhibition “Still Life: Eternity of the Inert ” at the CajaGranada Foundation, which features works by the most famous masters of the twentieth century.
The incident was reported by The Guardian with reference to the organizers of the exhibition and law enforcement officers, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
How the painting disappeared
According to preliminary information, the painting was transported on October 3 as part of a batch of borrowed exhibits. The transport arrived in Granada at about 10:00 am, the cargo was unloaded and checked, but some of the works did not have the correct identification numbers. Because of this, a full inventory could not be carried out immediately.
According to the foundation’s representatives, “two people accompanying the van took turns guarding the cargo.”
It was during this rotation that the disappearance probably occurred.
The investigation is currently investigating whether the painting could have been stolen during transportation or after it arrived in Granada.
What is known about the painting
The name of the stolen work has not been officially disclosed for security reasons, but it is known that it belongs to a private collector from Madrid and has never been exhibited publicly before.
The painting was insured for more than 600 million euros, making this case one of the most expensive art thefts in Europe over the past decade.
What investigators say
Spanish law enforcement officials have opened a criminal investigation into the theft of a cultural property of particular importance.
The police are checking
- the transportation company
- security personnel,
- and the accounting system of the CajaGranada Foundation.
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The version of an “insider theft” is being considered separately, as no signs of a break-in or attack have been found.
It should be reminded that the theft of Picasso’s works is not uncommon – the artist is one of the three artists whose works are most often stolen in the world, along with Monet and Rembrandt.
- In 2010, Picasso’s “Head of a Woman” worth more than 50 million euros was stolen from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.
- In 2021, in Greece, after a nine-year investigation, the police found the stolen “Seated Woman” and “The Mill,” which disappeared in 2012.
- According to Interpol, more than 1,200 works by Picasso are currently on the international wanted list.
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