Belgian authorities have recovered paintings from Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall that were stolen in 2010 from an Israeli art collector in Tel Aviv. Police from Namur, a city located about an hour southeast of Brussels, were notified that someone was trying to sell Picasso’s Tête (1970) and Chagall’s L’homme en prière (1971) back in 2022.
First reported by The Guardian, the anonymous suspect (codenamed “Daniel Z”) is a 68-year-old Israeli watch dealer who allegedly stole the paintings and jewelry, that together, is worth up to $1,580,000 USD. After 14 years of investigating, local detectives received a tip when the two paintings in question were being put up for sale in Namur.
Authorities raided Daniel Z’s home on January 10, but found a “large sum of money”, instead of the paintings. “The checks and police resources implemented during 2023 made it possible to establish that the suspect was indeed in possession of the works sought and that he could have them at his home or at the home of one of his relations,” said Namur police in an interview with Belgium’s Le Soir paper.
After admitting to stealing the artwork, the suspect and his wife were arrested and tried in a court hearing the next day. Both paintings remain undamaged and the Daniel Z is currently under arrest.
