Spanish police announced on Friday that a Pablo Picasso painting which disappeared while being transported to an exhibition has been recovered — sparking questions over whether the artwork was ever loaded onto the delivery truck.
The piece, titled “Still Life with Guitar”, is a 1919 gouache and pencil work valued at approximately €600,000 ($700,000). It vanished in early October while being moved from Madrid to Granada for display at the CajaGranada Foundation.
The artwork, owned by a private collector based in Madrid, was scheduled to feature in a new exhibition at the foundation. However, when the truck’s contents were unpacked on October 6, curators discovered that the Picasso piece was missing.
According to a statement by the CajaGranada Foundation, all items delivered by the truck had been under video surveillance since their arrival three days earlier. The missing artwork was subsequently reported to authorities.
Police confirmed on Friday that the painting had been found, though they did not reveal where it was recovered.
“Initial investigations suggest that the painting may not have been loaded onto the transport truck,” the National Police said in a statement.
Images released by authorities showed forensic experts examining the package containing the recovered artwork.
The foundation expressed optimism that “Still Life with Guitar” could still be included in the exhibition, which opened on October 9 and runs until January 11.
Picasso’s works are among the most coveted by art collectors and thieves alike. Two of his paintings recently fetched over $140 million at auction.
In 1976, more than 100 Picasso works were stolen from the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France, though all were eventually recovered.
Born in Malaga in 1881 and passing away in 1973, Pablo Picasso remains one of the most influential and celebrated artists of the 20th century.
