Overview
- Officers located and identified Pablo Picasso’s “Still Life with Guitar” in Madrid weeks after it was reported missing en route to Granada on October 3.
- Investigators say the work may not have been loaded onto the transport truck, and the Historic Heritage Unit is keeping the inquiry open without stating whether a crime occurred.
- Scientific police have opened the package and are examining the artwork to confirm authenticity and condition, releasing images of the review.
- Chain-of-custody lapses complicated checks: crates were improperly numbered, the delivery was signed before unpacking, and CCTV showed 57 works unloaded instead of 58 expected.
- The small gouache and graphite piece, owned by a private collector, is insured for €600,000 and was entered into Interpol’s stolen-art database after a formal complaint on October 10.