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Police Confirm Recovered Picasso Gouache as Investigation Centers on Transport Lapse in Madrid

Forensic analysis verified the work’s identity, with investigators now retracing the chain of custody in the capital.

Overview

  • Policía Científica opened and examined the recovered package on October 24 and confirmed it contains Picasso’s ‘Naturaleza muerta con guitarra’.
  • National Police say the piece may never have been loaded onto the truck in Madrid, and no arrests have been reported as inquiries continue.
  • The 1919 gouache, about 12.7 x 9.8 cm and owned by a private collector, is insured for roughly €600,000 and was slated for CajaGranada’s still-life exhibition.
  • Key dates include storage in Madrid on September 25, loading and an overnight stop in Deifontes on October 2–3, absence detected on October 6, and a formal complaint and Interpol entry on October 10.
  • Some outlets report a human-error scenario involving a package left in a building and taken in by a resident, a version under review that police have not confirmed.