A Picasso stolen in France twenty years ago resurfaced in the Netherlands

It's a small miracle. A picture of Pablo Picbado estimated at 25 million euros, stolen twenty years ago, has resurfaced in the Netherlands thanks to research by a Dutch art expert. The Portrait of Dora Maar, painting from 1938, is also known as Bust of a woman (Dora Maar). He represents one of the lovers and muses of the famous Spanish painter (1881-1973). The painting, which was part of the private collection of Picbado until his death, was stolen in 1999 on the yacht of a Saudi Sheikh moored in the port of Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes).

After two decades of unsuccessful research, observers and art collectors thought they would never see this masterpiece again. Until the Dutch art expert Arthur Brand, nicknamed "Indiana Jones of the art world" for his achievements as an investigator, get his hands on it after a four-year investigation.

Arthur Brand had learned in 2015 that a "Picbado stolen on a boat" was used as a bargaining chip in illicit transactions in the Netherlands. "At this point, I still did not know which table it was"he explains. In mid-March, two men working for a Dutch businessman struck in the middle of the night at his door in Amsterdam, portrait under his arm. "They had the Picbado, estimated at 25 million euros, wrapped in a sheet and black garbage bags"says Arthur Brand.

Business man "was afflicted" because he did not know he had a stolen painting in his possession, says the expert, who immediately informed the Dutch and French police. The Picbado robbery, estimated at around $ 7 million at the time, had encouraged wealthy owners of yachts moored on the French Riviera to review the safety systems on their boats. After the break-in in 1999, French police investigations were unsuccessful. The investigators had finally closed the file.

The painting then pbaded from hand to hand in the underground economy, "often used as collateral, appearing in drug trafficking and arms sales"says Arthur Brand. "Since the theft, the painting had to have changed ownership a dozen times"he observes. He had to get hold of it quickly because the painting was "probably in very bad shape". After being authenticated, the Bust of a woman was given to an insurance company wishing to remain anonymous in mid-March.

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