The story of how Picasso's painting was found 20 years after the loss
The famous hunter for stolen works of art managed to find a Picasso painting, stolen more than 20 years ago.
The Dutchman Arthur Brand is often compared to the character of George Lucas Indiana Jones. He, like his on-screen counterpart, is engaged in the search for antiquities. But he does this in relation to stolen works of art.
This time, the Dutch expert managed to find a picture of Picasso's “Bust of a Woman (Dora Maar)”, which was painted in 1938. Now it is estimated at approximately 25,000,000 euros. The artist's work was found in the Netherlands after she was abducted from a yacht by a Saudi sheikh in 1999.
Dora Maar was the lover and muse of Pablo Picasso for 7 years. Her portrait hung in the house of the artist until his death in 1973.
According to Arthur Brand, Picasso's painting was used as a pledge in various criminal transactions related to drug and arms trafficking.
"Everyone decided that it was destroyed - this is what happens with 90% of all stolen works of art, because they cannot be put up for sale," said Brand.
The hunt for the canvas began in 2015. It was then that Brand heard rumors about the disappearance of the picture from the yacht "Coral Island", which belonged to Saudi billionaire Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Abdulamalik al-Sheikh.
“Two representatives of a Dutch businessman contacted me and said that their client owns such a picture. He didn’t know what to do with it, says Brand. - He believed that he acquired it legally. Indeed, the transaction was completely legitimate - but the method of payment was not.”
After that, the representatives of the businessman contacted the hunter for the missing works of art. They brought the work of Picasso to his apartment in Amsterdam, wrapped in a sheet and black garbage bags.
At the moment, the canvas is from representatives of the insurance company, which at one time insured it.
The Dutchman Arthur Brand is often compared to the character of George Lucas Indiana Jones. He, like his on-screen counterpart, is engaged in the search for antiquities. But he does this in relation to stolen works of art.
Photo © bbc.com
This time, the Dutch expert managed to find a picture of Picasso's “Bust of a Woman (Dora Maar)”, which was painted in 1938. Now it is estimated at approximately 25,000,000 euros. The artist's work was found in the Netherlands after she was abducted from a yacht by a Saudi sheikh in 1999.
Dora Maar was the lover and muse of Pablo Picasso for 7 years. Her portrait hung in the house of the artist until his death in 1973.
Photo © bbc.com
According to Arthur Brand, Picasso's painting was used as a pledge in various criminal transactions related to drug and arms trafficking.
"Everyone decided that it was destroyed - this is what happens with 90% of all stolen works of art, because they cannot be put up for sale," said Brand.
The hunt for the canvas began in 2015. It was then that Brand heard rumors about the disappearance of the picture from the yacht "Coral Island", which belonged to Saudi billionaire Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Abdulamalik al-Sheikh.
Photo © bbc.com
“Two representatives of a Dutch businessman contacted me and said that their client owns such a picture. He didn’t know what to do with it, says Brand. - He believed that he acquired it legally. Indeed, the transaction was completely legitimate - but the method of payment was not.”
After that, the representatives of the businessman contacted the hunter for the missing works of art. They brought the work of Picasso to his apartment in Amsterdam, wrapped in a sheet and black garbage bags.
At the moment, the canvas is from representatives of the insurance company, which at one time insured it.
