Picasso etching stolen from Milwaukee art gallery in 2018 found by landlord in vacant apartment
- A Pablo Picasso etching titled "Torero" that was stolen from Bill DeLind’s Milwaukee gallery in 2018 was recovered last week.
- Milwaukee landlord Tim Dertz found the framed artwork while cleaning out a vacant apartment after an eviction.
- Dertz showed the piece to an antique dealer friend, who believed it was the stolen Picasso and alerted police.
- DeLind identified the print by the sticker on the back from his gallery and said he was overwhelmed when police contacted him.
- Milwaukee police said the case remains under investigation, and the artwork is still in police custody while insurance matters are resolved.
A Picasso etching stolen from a Milwaukee art gallery in 2018 has been found after a local landlord discovered it while clearing out a vacant apartment. Bill DeLind, the owner of DeLind Fine Art Appraisals, said he was contacted by police last week and quickly recognized the framed work as the missing "Torero" print.
The artwork was found by landlord Tim Dertz in an apartment that had been emptied after an eviction. Dertz said the print was hanging in a strange place and appeared to have been there for a long time, covered in dust. After showing it to an antique dealer friend, he was told it looked like the stolen Picasso and turned it over to police.
DeLind said the sticker from his gallery was still on the back of the frame, confirming it was his property. He said the print had been appraised at between $35,000 and $50,000 when it was stolen, and he believes its value may now be slightly higher because of the story behind its recovery.
Milwaukee police said the theft case remains under investigation. The artwork is still in police custody while DeLind and the client who had commissioned it for sale work with an insurance company to resolve the matter.
2018年从密尔沃基画廊被盗的毕加索蚀刻版画在一间空置公寓中被房东找到
一幅2018年从密尔沃基一家艺术画廊被盗的毕加索蚀刻版画，近日在当地一名房东清理一间空置公寓时被找到。画廊老板比尔·德林德说，警方上周联系了他，他很快认出这件装框作品就是失踪的《Torero》版画。
发现者是房东蒂姆·德茨，他在清空一间因驱逐而腾空的公寓时找到了这幅作品。德茨说，这幅画挂在一个奇怪的位置上，看起来已经放了很久，表面积了很多灰尘。他把作品拿给一位做古董生意的朋友看，对方认为这是一幅失窃的毕加索作品，于是交给了警方。
德林德表示，画框背面还贴着他画廊的标签，这说明这件作品确实属于他。他说，这幅版画在被盗时估价在3.5万到5万美元之间，如今由于经历了失而复得的故事，价值可能略高一些。
密尔沃基警方表示，这起盗窃案仍在调查中。目前这件作品仍由警方保管，德林德和当初委托其代售的客户正在与保险公司处理后续事宜。