Picasso Painting Vanishes in Spain

Pablo Picasso’s “Still Life with Guitar” (1919) has disappeared while being transported from Madrid to Granada, where it was due to be displayed as part of the temporary exhibition “Still Life. The Eternity of the Inert”. The work of art is insured for €600,000 (around $700,000).

According to Reuters, the missing painting was not discovered until three days after the delivery. The small-format work (measuring 5 by 4 inches) was shipped along with other, larger canvases. In an official statement, the organizers said that not all the packages had been correctly numbered, which made “a thorough verification impossible without unpacking them.”

As reported by ARTnews, the truck carrying 57 artworks made an overnight stop less than 32 kilometers from the cultural center in Granada. El País added that the personnel accompanying the shipment took turns standing guard, but no suspicious activity was captured on security cameras.

The painting belongs to a private collector and is insured for €600,000 (around $700,000). The CajaGranada Foundation has filed an official complaint with Spain’s national police, who are investigating the incident and attempting to determine when exactly the artwork went missing.