A painting by Salvator Rosa stolen in a heist from the Christ Church Picture Gallery in Oxford, the U.K., more than four years ago has been recovered by British police with assistance from Romanian authorities.
Rosa’s painting—an Italian Baroque landscape titled A Rocky Coast, with Soldiers Studying a Plan—was stolen along with two others from the museum in March 2020, said James Mather, a detective chief inspector with the Thames Valley Police, in a video statement. It was not clear how the thieves broke into the museum and made away with the works, which were then valued at $12 million.
“We are pleased that through developing close working relationships with the Romanian authorities, facilitated by Eurojust and Europol, one of the paintings by Salvator Rosa has been discovered,” Mather said. “This is a significant development in the investigation. However, two of the paintings remain missing.”
Annibale Carraci. A Boy Drinking (ca. 1580). Photo courtesy of Thames Valley Police
The two other paintings that were stolen in the same raid are Anthony van Dyck’s A Soldier on Horseback (ca. 1617) and Annibale Carracci’s A Boy Drinking (ca. 1580). both have been on display since 1768 at Christ Church.
“From information provided by Romanian authorities, we know that these two paintings were sold on in Romania but now could be anywhere in Europe,” Mather said.
Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Cooperation, said in its own statement that the three works are estimated to be about $12.4 million.
Anthony van Dyck. A Soldier on Horseback (ca. 1617). Photo courtesy of Thames Valley Police
The Rosa painting was recovered after the man in possession of it contacted Romanian police and said he had sold the two other works but chose to return the Rosa painting. “The man is being treated as a witness by the Romanian authorities and has not been arrested,” Eurojust said in its statement.
The Christ Church Picture Gallery said in a statement that it is “thrilled” to have one of its masterpieces safely returned and hopes that anyone with information about the whereabouts of the two other works comes forward.
“We’re grateful to the Romanian authorities and Thames Valley Police for their help in retrieving this priceless work and returning it to our gallery,” curator Jacqueline Thalmann said. “Not only do the paintings form a significant part of our collection, but their significance to our British and European culture is inestimable.”
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