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Spanish authorities have successfully recovered a Pablo Picasso painting that went missing earlier this month while being prepared for an exhibition in Granada.
The artwork, 'Still Life with Guitar' (1919), according to public broadcaster RTVE, is valued at approximately €600,000 (nearly $700,000) and had been scheduled to be featured in the exhibition Still Life: The Eternity of the Inert at the CajaGranada Cultural Center.
The National Police reported on social media platform X that the painting “disappeared in its transfer to an exhibition in Granada” and indicated that it “may not have been loaded onto the transport truck.”
The Historical Heritage Brigade is leading the ongoing investigation, while the Scientific Police have inspected the recovered package to ensure the artwork’s condition and authenticity.
The painting, a small gouache and pencil piece, had been carefully packed on Sept. 25 in preparation for its transport to Granada. It was due to arrive at the cultural center on Oct. 3.
However, when the crates were opened three days later, the artwork was discovered to be missing.
The disappearance was formally reported to authorities on Oct. 10, prompting the inclusion of 'Still Life with Guitar' in the international database of stolen or missing artworks.
Authorities have remained tight-lipped about the exact circumstances of the recovery, and the investigation is still considered open.
Preliminary reports suggest that the painting may never have left its original location, raising questions about procedural errors in the transport process.
Police and exhibition organizers are working closely to determine the chain of events that led to the artwork’s disappearance and subsequent recovery.
Still Life with Guitar is recognized as an important work in Picasso’s early 20th-century period, reflecting his exploration of form, perspective, and everyday objects.
The painting’s return is a significant relief to curators and art historians, particularly given its inclusion in a high-profile exhibition exploring the enduring aesthetic of still-life compositions.
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