Picasso etching stolen in 2018 recovered in Milwaukee apartment

A Pablo Picasso etching titled ‘Torero’ (1949) has been recovered in Milwaukee eight years after it was stolen from DeLind Fine Art Appraisals in 2018. The artwork, one of approximately 30 known prints, was valued between $35,000 and $50,000 at the time of the theft.

The print was discovered by landlord Tim Dertz while cleaning an apartment following an eviction. Dertz noticed the piece hanging on a wall and, after showing it to an antique dealer friend, suspected it was the missing artwork. A sticker from DeLind Fine Art Appraisals remained on the back of the frame, which helped confirm its origin.

Milwaukee police received the etching on August 5, 2026, after it was turned in. Art dealer Bill DeLind expressed deep emotion over the recovery, noting that the theft had been a personal insult and had deeply affected his late business partner.