Art dealer stunned after $50,000 Picasso print stolen from his gallery years ago found on wall of Midwestern apartment after tenant evicted
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
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 while clearing it out following a tenant's 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, who asked police for updates on the anniversary of the theft every year. The recovery came about entirely by chance, and DeLind has praised the honesty of those who identified and handed it in rather than keeping or selling it on.
The artwork is a 1949 Torero print, one of only 30 signed by Pablo Picasso, which was appraised at between $35,000 and $50,000 (roughly £27,500 to £39,500) when it went missing. Landlord Tim Dertz spotted it undisturbed on the wall and had it examined by an antique dealer, who recognised it as the stolen piece and prompted him to hand it to police, who then contacted DeLind. DeLind said he was "in disbelief" at the news and believes the print is still worth close to its original valuation, adding that his late partner "would be over the moon" to see it returned.
- Stolen 1949 Picasso Torero print recovered eight years after Milwaukee gallery theft.
- Landlord found it dusty on a wall while clearing an evicted tenant's flat.
- Print, worth up to $50,000, was returned to dealer Bill DeLind via police.
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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.
Full account
A Milwaukee art dealer has been reunited with a signed Pablo Picasso print worth up to $50,000 (£39,000), nearly eight years after it vanished from his gallery, thanks to a landlord who stumbled across it while clearing out a flat following a tenant's eviction. Bill DeLind, who runs DeLind Fine Art Appraisals, had heard nothing of the 1949 etching "Torero" since it disappeared from his gallery on North Jefferson Street in February 2018. He reported the theft to police at the time, but the case went cold and the piece was never traced.
The print resurfaced this month when landlord Tim Dertz was clearing a flat in Milwaukee's Bay View neighbourhood after evicting its previous occupants. He found the artwork hanging, rather incongruously, on a wall of the property, coated in a thick layer of dust that suggested it had sat there undisturbed for years. Suspecting it might be of value, Dertz showed it to a friend who deals in antiques, who recognised the work as a genuine Picasso and thought it might match a piece reported stolen from DeLind's gallery years earlier. Rather than keep or sell the find, Dertz handed it to Milwaukee police on 5 August, telling them he believed it could be stolen property.
Investigators and an authenticator confirmed the following day that the etching was indeed the missing "Torero" — one of only 30 copies known to carry Picasso's own signature. A sticker from DeLind's appraisal firm, still attached to the back of the frame, helped confirm the match. Police then contacted DeLind, who said he was overwhelmed when he learned the piece had turned up intact. He described the theft as having felt like a personal affront at the time, and said its return restored his faith that honest people still exist, praising Dertz and his friend for going to the trouble of alerting police rather than simply keeping or reselling the print.
The recovery carries a bittersweet note for DeLind: his former business partner, who died earlier this year, had been deeply affected by the original theft and reportedly contacted police every anniversary of the crime to keep the case alive. DeLind said he believes his late colleague would have been thrilled to see the piece found. The etching, appraised at between $35,000 and $50,000 when it was stolen, is thought to hold similar or slightly higher value today given the publicity surrounding its return. It remains in police custody while the client who originally consigned it to DeLind's gallery sorts out insurance matters, and while the theft itself falls outside Wisconsin's typical six-year statute of limitations for property crime, police say the investigation into who took it remains open.
Where outlets differ
The Fox News-sourced report includes procedural detail absent from the Daily Mail/AP-style account: the exact date the print was handed in (5 August), the Milwaukee Police Department's official statement thanking the finder, the original gallery's street address, and confirmation that the artwork remains in police custody pending insurance resolution.
Only the Fox-sourced report mentions the statute of limitations for theft in Wisconsin (generally six years) and notes the case is still formally open, whereas the Daily Mail/AP account does not address the legal status of the investigation.
The Daily Mail/AP account places more emphasis on DeLind's emotional reaction and moral framing — his remarks about the theft feeling like a 'personal insult' and his praise for 'good, honest people' — while the Fox-sourced report foregrounds the police investigation and authentication process, only briefly quoting DeLind's 'overwhelmed' and 'full circle' remarks.
The Fox-sourced report specifies the Bay View neighbourhood as the location of the apartment and notes the DeLind Fine Art Appraisals sticker found on the back of the frame, details not mentioned in the Daily Mail/AP account.
Sourcing differs: the Fox report cites WISN-TV for Dertz's quotes and the Associated Press for DeLind's, while the Daily Mail account attributes its quotes directly to the Associated Press throughout.