$5,000 reward offered for stolen Picasso

MILWAUKEE — A $5,000 reward has been offered for the safe return of a Pablo Picasso etching stolen from an art appraisal firm in Wisconsin.

The work, “Torero,” worth an estimated $35,000 to $50,000, was stolen between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Feb. 16 from DeLind Fine Art Appraisals in Milwaukee.

Michael Goforth, DeLind’s business partner, contacted the Milwaukee Police Department after noticing the artwork was missing.

Galleries throughout the Midwest, as well as auctioneers, were notified about the theft, he said. That would make it difficult for it to be sold.

“Torero,” which Picasso created in 1949, was at the business because DeLind was hired to sell the work. He called the theft “an unfortunate disaster.”

“Torero” is an etching and aquatint printed in ink on paper. It is signed by Picasso, the Spanish artist who died in 1973.

“It’s just a very fine piece,” DeLind said.

Anyone with information about the theft or etching is asked to contact the Milwaukee Police Department or the FBI.

Contributing: Tom Daykin