Milwaukee landlord finds stolen Picasso Torero print in vacated apartment
It began when a Milwaukee landlord was clearing a vacant apartment and noticed a dusty print hanging in an odd spot on the wall. The image turned out to be a signed Picasso etching titled Torero, a work that belongs to a handful of thirty known impressions.
An antique‑dealer friend immediately identified the piece as the one reported stolen in 2018, and the landlord handed it to police.
The print was soon claimed by Bill DeLind of DeLind Fine Art Appraisals, who had been following the case for years. A sticker from his firm was still attached to the frame, and DeLind said the moment he learned the etching had resurfaced was overwhelming, recalling his late business partner’s yearly pleas to keep searching.
DeLind estimates the artwork’s market value at roughly $50,000, and the recovery holds special emotional resonance as a tribute to his departed colleague.
Milwaukee police praised the landlord’s honesty, noting that the community’s willingness to do the right thing makes the city 'better together'.