A valuable Picasso print, stolen from a Wisconsin art gallery six years ago, has been recovered after being discovered hanging on a wall in a Midwestern apartment. The 1949 print, titled "Torero" and one of only 30 signed by Pablo Picasso, was stolen from DeLind Fine Art Appraisals in Milwaukee in 2018.
Bill DeLind, the owner of the gallery, had reported the theft to the police but had heard nothing about the artwork since. The print was appraised at between $35,000 and $50,000 when it was stolen and is believed to still be worth around $50,000.
The recovery occurred when a landlord, Tim Dertz, was cleaning out a vacant apartment after evicting tenants. Dertz noticed the artwork hanging on a wall, covered in dust. He showed the print to an antique dealer, who recognized it as the Picasso print that had been stolen from DeLind's gallery.
Dertz then turned the print over to the police. DeLind expressed gratitude for the honesty of the landlord and the antique dealer, stating that their actions restored his faith in people. He recalled the theft as a "personal insult" but described the return of the artwork as a complete reversal, bringing him immense relief and happiness. DeLind also noted that his former business partner, who had been deeply saddened by the theft, would have been overjoyed by its recovery.
