Landlord Cleaning Out Apartment Finds Stolen Picasso

Bill DeLind thought the Picasso print that was stolen from his Milwaukee gallery in 2018 was gone forever. But then police called last week and asked him to look at an artwork that a local landlord found while cleaning out a vacant apartment. DeLind immediately recognized the stolen "Torero" print, one of 30 known to exist that were signed by Picasso. "I was overwhelmed," DeLind said Friday. Milwaukee landlord Tim Dertz told WISN-TV that he found the print while cleaning out the apartment of someone who had been evicted. "It was in a back bedroom behind a door," Dertz said. "A very odd placement for such a piece of art. I guess we know why now."

Dertz said he showed it to an antique dealer friend who recognized it as a Picasso and said it appeared to be the one DeLind reported stolen in 2018. Dertz handed it over to police, who then contacted DeLind. The AP reports the Milwaukee Police Department said in an email Friday that the statute of limitations for theft and property crimes is generally six years, but the case remains under investigation. The artwork remains in the possession of Milwaukee police while the client who had commissioned it for sale with the art gallery works it out with his insurance company, DeLind said. The year it was stolen, the piece was appraised at between $35,000 and $50,000.