Art dealer stunned after $50,000 Picasso print stolen from his gallery years ago found on wall of Midwestern apartment after tenant evicted
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A rare Picasso print stolen from a Milwaukee art dealer's gallery in 2018 has been recovered after a landlord found it hanging, dust-covered, on the wall of a vacant flat he was clearing out following an eviction. Bill DeLind, owner of DeLind Fine Art Appraisals, had reported the theft to police at the time but the case went unsolved for years, leaving him deeply upset over the loss of a piece that had also meant a great deal to his late business partner. The print's recovery came about entirely by chance, and DeLind has praised the honesty of those who identified and returned it rather than keeping or selling it on.
The artwork is a 1949 Torero print, one of only 30 signed by Pablo Picasso, appraised at between $35,000 and $50,000 (roughly £27,500 to £39,500) when it vanished. Landlord Tim Dertz spotted it undisturbed on a wall and had it examined by an antique dealer, who recognised it as the missing piece before it was handed to police and returned to DeLind. DeLind, who said he was "in disbelief" at the news, believes the print is still worth close to $50,000 today and said his late partner, who had contacted police every year on the anniversary of the theft, "would be over the moon".
- Stolen $50,000 Picasso print found in Milwaukee flat after eviction
- Landlord spotted dusty artwork, had it identified as the stolen piece
- Dealer Bill DeLind reunited with print stolen from his gallery in 2018
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Milwaukee gallery owner Bill DeLind discovered his 2018 theft case unexpectedly resolved when a landlord clearing out an evicted tenant's flat found a valuable artwork hanging on the wall. DeLind runs DeLind Fine Art Appraisals and had reported the piece stolen years earlier, but the case had gone cold, leaving him and his late business partner without closure.
The item in question is a 1949 Torero print, one of only 30 signed by Pablo Picasso, making it a rare and valuable collector's piece worth tens of thousands of dollars. Landlord Tim Dertz spotted the print undisturbed on the wall of the vacant flat and, after having it checked by an antique dealer, learned it was the missing artwork before handing it over to police.
The case highlights how stolen artworks can resurface by chance long after a theft, and how their authenticity and origin can be traced through experts and law enforcement once identified.
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