Stolen Art Watch, Picasso's From Sprengel Museum Recovered In Serbia

The Picasso painting Tete de cheval went missing in 2008 from a Swiss gallery. Swiss authorities say it has been recovered in Serbia. Swiss Police/Associated Press

Stolen Picassos recovered in Serbia

Two stolen Pablo Picasso paintings worth millions of dollars have been found in Serbia, Swiss broadcaster SF said citing a Swiss prosecutor.

The works, Tête de cheval (Head of a Horse), created by Picasso in 1962 and Verre et pichet (Glass and Pitcher), painted in 1944, were stolen from an exhibition in the town of Pfaeffikon, near Zurich, in February 2008. The paintings were on loan from the Sprengel Museum in Hannover, Germany, at the time of the theft.

“I can tell you with pride and joy that after three-and-a-half years of investigative work we have located both stolen Picasso paintings,” Schwyz cantonal prosecutor Charles Faessler told SF on Friday.

Faessler said that Switzerland had officially requested Serbia to return the paintings, which had been found intact in a safe location.

However, he provided no information on the exact location of the paintings or possible suspects in the theft.

The Sprengel Museum has promised a reward for the recovery of the paintings.

Stolen Picasso Paintings Found

Swiss broadcaster SF is reporting that two stolen Pablo Picasso paintings worth millions of dollars have been found in Serbia.

SF cites a Swiss prosecutor saying the oil paintings, stolen three years ago, are in a safe location.

In a program aired Friday, prosecutor Charles Faessler told said that Switzerland has submitted a request to Serbia for the paintings to be returned.

He provided no information on the exact location of the paintings or possible suspects in the theft.

The works, Tête de cheval (Head of horse), created by Picasso in 1962 and Verre et pichet (Glass and pitcher), painted in 1944, were stolen from an exhibition in the small town of Pfaeffikon, near Zurich, in February 2008.

They had been loaned there by the Sprengel Museum in Hannover, Germany.

Art Hostage Comments:

Serbian Police do not have the Picasso's yet. They are still being held in a secure location, but a deal of sorts has already been done. Time will tell if all parties have kept to their respective word.

Over the summer Art Hostage was well aware of this activity in Serbia.