Table of Contents
- The Mystery Begins
- Deifontes’ Caper Fever
- Picasso Recovered—But Never Missing?
- Exhibition Awaits in Granada
- Sources
The Mystery Begins
When Pablo Picasso’s 1919 gouache and pencil work “Still Life With Guitar” was reported missing earlier this month, Spain braced for an international art heist saga. The small piece—destined for the CajaGranada Foundation in southern Spain—was believed to have vanished during transit from Madrid.
Reports claimed a white delivery van carrying the artwork had stopped overnight in Deifontes, a quiet olive-growing town just 20 minutes outside Granada. Local residents, thrilled by the sudden spotlight, began weaving elaborate theories about the painting’s whereabouts.
Deifontes’ Caper Fever
For a few surreal days, Deifontes transformed from a sleepy hamlet into an impromptu crime scene of the imagination. Retirees debated alibis over café con leche, while hoteliers like Patricia Gutiérrez—whose family hosted the van’s drivers—joked about launching a “Lost Picasso Route” for tourists.
“If you come in a white van, we’ll give you a discount,” Gutiérrez quipped, embodying the town’s playful embrace of the momentary fame.
The buzz intensified after news broke of a brazen jewel heist at the Louvre in Paris, fueling speculation that the Picasso disappearance might be part of a larger, coordinated art crime wave.
Picasso Recovered—But Never Missing?
On Friday, October 24, 2025, Spanish authorities dropped a surprising twist: the Picasso was never actually stolen—or even removed from its original location.
According to an unnamed police official, the artwork was stored in a private building in northern Madrid awaiting courier pickup. However, a woman residing in the same building mistakenly took the piece home, believing it to be hers or perhaps mislabeled. No criminal charges have been filed, and the painting remains unharmed.
This anticlimactic resolution left Deifontes residents both relieved and slightly disappointed. Their brush with international intrigue had evaporated as quickly as it arrived.
Exhibition Awaits in Granada
The CajaGranada Foundation confirmed that “Still Life With Guitar” will now be delivered as originally planned and featured in their upcoming exhibition, “Still Life: The Eternity of the Inert.” The show explores the quiet power of everyday objects through the lens of modernist masters like Picasso.
While the painting’s brief “disappearance” turned out to be a case of mistaken identity rather than grand larceny, it highlighted how easily mystery—and hope—can bloom in the most unexpected corners of Spain.
Why This Story Captivated Spain
- Rarity: Even minor Picassos are cultural treasures in Spain.
- Timing: Occurred amid global art crime headlines.
- Community Spirit: A tiny town rallied around a shared narrative.
Sources
The New York Times – “A Missing Picasso Is Found, and a Small Spanish Town Loses Its Air of Mystery”
