MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A Wisconsin art dealer has been reunited with a rare Pablo Picasso print valued at up to $50,000 after the piece, stolen from his gallery six years ago, was unexpectedly discovered hanging on the wall of a recently vacated apartment.

Bill DeLind, owner of DeLind Fine Art Appraisals in Milwaukee, reported the 1949 Torero print stolen in 2018 after it vanished from his gallery during business hours. Despite filing a police report and conducting his own outreach, the artwork — one of only 30 signed prints created by Picasso — was never recovered, and the case went cold.

That changed when local landlord Tim Dertz entered a unit he was preparing to clean following a tenant eviction. Inside, he noticed a framed artwork hanging on the wall, coated with dust and appearing untouched for years. Unsure of its origin, Dertz brought the piece to an antique dealer, who immediately recognized it as the missing Picasso.

Dertz then contacted police, who confirmed the print matched the one stolen from DeLind’s gallery. Officers reached out to DeLind, who said he was “in disbelief” when he learned the artwork had resurfaced.

“For years, it felt like a personal insult,” DeLind said. “To have it come back like this — because someone chose to do the right thing — it restores your faith in people.”

DeLind said his former business partner, who has since passed away, was deeply affected by the theft. Every year on the anniversary of the disappearance, DeLind would contact police to share any new information in hopes the case might finally break. He believes his late colleague would be “over the moon” to know the print was recovered.

The artwork was originally appraised between $35,000 and $50,000 at the time of the theft. DeLind says its value today remains in the same range, likely closer to the upper estimate.

Police have not announced any suspects, and the circumstances of how the print ended up in the apartment remain under investigation.

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