Belgian police found the stolen Picasso and Chagall in an Antwerp basement

Police in the Belgian city of Namur found two valuable paintings, by Picasso and Chagall, in a basement in Antwerp. The two artworks were stolen in 2010 from the home of an art collector in Tel Aviv. Police report that both paintings are in good condition.

The two paintings, The man is praying By Marc Chagall and Head By Pablo Picasso, stolen during a burglary at the home of an art dealer. The thieves also stole jewelry worth about 630,000 euros. The value of the two stolen artworks was estimated at more than 820,000 euros at the time.

The Flemish broadcaster VRT shared a photo of the two paintings on social media:

For years, the paintings seemed to have disappeared without a trace, but at the end of 2022, Namur police received a tip-off. A Belgian from the city will offer the two paintings for sale. Over the next few months, police continued to monitor the suspect.

Last week, police conducted two raids and arrested the man and his wife. The police found a large sum of money, but not the paintings. The man said he had the paintings. But he did not say where they were.

The paintings were found during a third search of a house in Antwerp. They were hidden in wooden boxes in the basement. Police say the paintings were not damaged and are still in their original frames.

The main suspect is suspected of robbery and remains in custody.