Landlord finds a Picasso in vacant apartment that had been missing for 8 years
The mysterious disappearance of a Picasso etching since 2018 has come to a surprising conclusion with its rediscovery in a landlord's apartment. With an estimated worth of $35,000 to $50,000, the piece drew attention when the landlord recognized the signature. After an antique dealer confirmed its validity, the police praised the landlord’s integrity in returning the artwork. The gallery owner…
In 2018, an original Picasso painting disappeared from a Milwaukee gallery and remained missing for eight years before its recent rediscovery. Timothy Dertz, a tenant, found the artwork in his vacant former apartment in August 2026. Dertz, along with an antique dealer, identified the piece as a 1949 Pablo Picasso etching called Torero, Spanish for bullfighter.
The artwork was one of 30 prints originally commissioned for a gallery owned by Bill DeLind. The gallery owner, who had no security cameras at the time, noticed the missing print on February 16, 2018. The print was valued at $35,000 to $50,000 at the time of its disappearance. DeLind and his business partner, Michael Goforth, had been deeply invested in recovering the print, offering rewards up to $10,000.
DeLind expressed his shock and gratitude when the piece was returned in perfect condition. Despite the statute of limitations for theft in Wisconsin being six years, the Milwaukee Police Department is still investigating the case. The insurance company now owns the Picasso, but its rightful owner, DeLind, hopes to display the artwork in the gallery again.
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