Spanish police are investigating the disappearance of a small Picasso painting valued at €600,000 (£520,000) that went missing while being transported from Madrid to an exhibition in Granada. The gouache and pencil work, titled Still Life with Guitar (Naturaleza muerta con guitarra), was painted in 1919 and measures just 12.7cm by 9.8cm.
The painting was part of a consignment of loaned exhibits delivered by van to the CajaGranada foundation on 3 October. Upon arrival at 10am, staff unloaded and checked the items but noted that some packages were not correctly numbered, preventing an exhaustive check. The delivery was signed off, and the van departed.
Over the weekend, the works were kept under video surveillance. On the following Monday, staff unpacked the pieces and moved them to different parts of the exhibition room. Mid-morning, the curator and head of exhibitions noticed that the Picasso was missing.
The foundation reported the theft to the Policía Nacional and expressed full confidence that the case will be resolved. Spanish media reports suggest the van may have stopped overnight near Granada, with the two occupants taking turns guarding the cargo.
Picasso's works have long been targets for thieves. In 2007, two paintings worth €50m were stolen from his granddaughter's Paris home. In 1997, a gunman stole Picasso's Tête de Femme from a London gallery, though it was later recovered.
