Two stolen artworks by Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso were recovered last week in Namur, Wallonia, by the Federal Judicial Police (FJP), it revealed on Tuesday.
A Belgian citizen in Namur was discovered by the Belgian police to have put Chagall’s The Praying Man and Picasso’s Head up for sale.
These pieces had been part of a significant theft from an art collector in Tel Aviv, Israel, in February 2010, which also involved theft of jewellery worth an estimated $680,000. At the time of the crime, the two paintings together were valued at $900,000.
The FJP carried out a thorough investigation into the identified suspect over several months. The inquiries and police measures implemented during 2023 confirmed that the suspect was indeed in possession of the sought-after artworks and was likely storing them at his home or with an associate.
Last Wednesday, at the prosecutor’s request, the FJP in Namur conducted two searches at the suspect’s home. A significant amount of money was recovered, but the paintings were not found. Although the suspect confessed to possessing the paintings, he refused to disclose their location.
The investigation finally led officers to Antwerp, where the two paintings were discovered in a cellar during another search, properly stored and undamaged, remaining in their original frames.
The main suspect has been charged with receiving stolen paintings and has been placed under arrest.
