A tiny Picasso, vanished! That's right, a valuable painting by the iconic artist has mysteriously disappeared, sparking a full-blown investigation in Spain. This isn't just any artwork; we're talking about a gouache and pencil piece called Naturaleza muerta con guitarra (Still Life with Guitar), estimated to be worth a staggering €600,000 (approximately £520,000). The painting was en route from Madrid to an exhibition in Granada, but it never made it to its destination.
The artwork, created in 1919, measures a mere 12.7cm x 9.8cm, yet its value is immense. It was slated to be part of the Still Life: the Eternity of the Inert exhibition at the CajaGranada foundation, which opened its doors just last week. The painting belonged to a private collector in Madrid and was part of a larger shipment of loaned exhibits.
Here's where the story gets intriguing: the delivery van arrived on Friday, October 3rd, and the contents were unloaded. While some packages weren't numbered correctly, making a thorough check difficult, the delivery was signed off. The pieces were under video surveillance over the weekend, and it wasn't until Monday morning, during unpacking, that the painting was discovered missing.
The foundation promptly reported the disappearance to the Policía Nacional, expressing their full confidence in a swift resolution. Spanish media reports suggest the van may have stopped near Granada overnight, with the two people aboard possibly taking turns guarding the precious cargo. Could this be an inside job, or a stroke of bad luck?
Picasso's fame, and the astronomical prices his works command, have long made his art a target for art thieves worldwide.
- In February 2007, two Picasso paintings worth a total of €50 million were stolen from the artist’s granddaughter's Paris home.
- Two years later, a Picasso sketchbook valued at over €8 million vanished from a Paris museum dedicated to the artist.
- In 1989, twelve Picasso paintings, worth around £9 million, were stolen from the French Riviera villa of another of his grandchildren, Marina Picasso.
Several other Picasso paintings have been stolen from galleries, including 118 works stolen from a museum in Avignon in 1976. In 1997, a gunman stole Picasso’s Tête de Femme from a London art gallery, though it was later recovered.
The mystery of the missing Picasso is just another reminder of the high stakes and intrigue that surround the art world. What do you think happened to the painting? Do you believe it was a professional heist, or something else entirely? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
