Police sources in Athens say stolen Picasso portrait, stolen from art museum in 2012, recovered

Three famous works of arts stolen from the National Art Gallery in Athens back in 2012 have reportedly been recovered, police sources in the Greek capital revealed on Monday, including a Picasso painting donated to the Greek people in recognition of their resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II.

Authorities have reportedly zeroed in on two suspects, described as individuals with a criminal record and suspected of other such raids on valuable works of art. Another ex-con, who served time for blackmail and other felonies in Greek prisons, is being investigated as the “middleman” in an attempt to sell-off the stolen artwork.

The Picasso portrait is known as “Head of a Woman,” and was painted in 1939.

It is inscribed on the reverse with the dedication: “For the Greek people, a tribute from Picasso.” It was donated by the artist in 1946.

A sole burglar at the time also made off with Piet Mondrian’s “Landscape with a mill,” and a pen-and-ink sketch of San Diego de Alcala in ecstasy by Renaissance artist Guglielmo Caccia. Another man acted as the “look out”.

A fourth valuable figurative painting, “Landscape with a farm,” also by Dutchman Mondrian, was dropped by the thief as he fled.

The raid took place on the final day of an exhibition entitled “Unknown Treasures.”