Stolen 2018 Picasso Print Found by Landlord in Vacant Milwaukee Apartment

An original Pablo Picasso etching print stolen from a Milwaukee art gallery in 2018 has been recovered after a local landlord found the artwork hanging in a vacant apartment, according to local authorities and gallery owner Bill DeLind. The rare “Torero” print, valued between $35,000 and $50,000 when stolen, was turned over to the Milwaukee Police Department.

Landlord Discovers Stolen Picasso in Evicted Tenant’s Apartment

Milwaukee landlord Tim Dertz discovered the piece while cleaning out an apartment following an eviction, according to an interview with WISN-TV reported by ABC News. Dertz noticed the framed artwork hanging in an unusual spot on the wall.

It looked like it had been there for a long, long time because it had tons of dust across the top of it, Dertz told WISN-TV, as reported by ABC News.

After showing the piece to an antique dealer friend who recognized it as a Picasso matching DeLind’s 2018 theft report, Dertz handed the artwork over to the police.

Gallery Owner Reacts to the Recovery of the Torero Print

Gallery owner Bill DeLind stated that he never expected to see the artwork again until police contacted him to inspect the recovered piece. DeLind Fine Art Appraisals had originally placed an identifying sticker on the back of the frame, which remained intact.

I was at a loss for words. It came back full circle. The “Torero” print is one of 30 known existing impressions signed by Picasso. DeLind estimated that while the piece was appraised at between $35,000 and $50,000 at the time of the 2018 theft, its unique recovery story could push its current value closer to the higher end of that range.

Ongoing Police Investigation and Insurance Status

Representatives for the FBI in Milwaukee did not immediately return messages seeking comment, according to ABC News reporting. DeLind noted that the artwork remains in police custody while the client who originally commissioned the piece for sale works through insurance claims. The gallery owner also shared that his former business partner, who died in February, had been deeply distressed by the 2018 theft and routinely contacted authorities on every anniversary of the crime to seek renewed public attention.

He would have been over the moon about this. It was special to him.