Nine years after Greek art heist, stolen Picasso is found in Athens
On Monday, police in Athens said Picasso's Woman's Head had been found and a 1905 painting of a windmill by Piet Mondrian. Both were taken, along with a third artwork, during an elaborate 2012 heist at the Athens National Gallery.
The artworks were stripped from their frames in the early morning raid, which only took minutes to carry out, citing an anonymous police official, who reported that a Greek man had been arrested after the art was found hidden at a gorge on the outskirts city.
Monday's announcement came just months after reported that Greek police still believed the artwork was in the country. The Picasso painting, a portrait of a woman in his signature cubist style, was gifted to the National Gallery by the artist himself back in 1949. Painted a decade earlier, he said the gift was recognising the country's resistance to Nazi Germany.
A second Mondrian painting was left at the scene during the heist after thieves dropped it while making their escape. Officials are expected to hold a press conference about the art recovery on Tuesday.
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