A Pablo Picasso etching titled "Torero," stolen from a Milwaukee art gallery in 2018, has been recovered after a landlord found it in a vacant apartment. The piece, one of 30 known to exist and signed by the artist, was discovered by landlord Tim Dertz while he was cleaning out a property.
Dertz noticed the print hanging on a wall in the apartment and, after consulting with an antique dealer friend who recognized it as a Picasso, contacted the police. The Milwaukee Police Department then reached out to Bill DeLind, the owner of DeLind Fine Art Appraisals, the gallery from which the etching was stolen.
DeLind, who had believed the artwork was lost forever, expressed overwhelming relief upon its recovery. The gallery sticker was still on the back of the framed print, confirming its identity. "It was indeed mine," DeLind stated, noting the full-circle nature of the recovery. He recalled that his former business partner, who died in February, was deeply affected by the theft and had made annual calls to the police on the anniversary of the crime in hopes of its return.
The "Torero" print was appraised at between $35,000 and $50,000 when it was stolen in 2018. DeLind estimates its value remains similar, potentially closer to $50,000 now due to its recovery story.
The Milwaukee Police Department confirmed that while the statute of limitations for theft and property crimes is generally six years, the case remains under investigation. The FBI declined to comment. The artwork is currently in police possession while the client who had commissioned its sale and their insurance company work through the details of the recovery.