A 1949 Picasso print was stolen from a Milwaukee art appraiser on Friday. (FOX6 Milwaukee)
A Pablo Picasso artwork worth between $35,000 and $50,000 was stolen from a Milwaukee art appraiser on Friday — but the thief might not have known the value of the print.
The 1949 Picasso print was taken from the DeLind Fine Art Appraisals on Friday. Bill DeLind, the appraiser, told FOX6 he and his business partner noticed the artwork was missing around 2 p.m.
"So somebody maybe just got lucky."
"Some of what went through my mind couldn't be repeated on television," DeLind told FOX6. "But it was shock and a big disappointment...I think most people are genuinely good and people don't just steal things. So it's always a disappointment."
DeLind said the piece is valuable because there are only 30 of those prints. Picasso signed each of them with a green crayon in the lower corner, according to FOX6.
However, DeLind believes the thief didn’t know how much the print was worth when it was taken because there are no signs that indicated the value of the artwork.
"We've never had tags up. We've never had prices up. Not even identifying the artist. So somebody maybe just got lucky," he said.
The appraiser said the thief may have slipped into the gallery when he and his business partner were upstairs in the building. The store also doesn’t have surveillance cameras. DeLind said he hopes video from the street captured the suspected thief leaving the store.
When asked about what he would say to the thief, DeLind responded: "First of all, bring it back. I'm not sure I'm in a position to negotiate, you'll be forgiven or no harm will come, but I will say, I want the artwork back.”
It’s unclear if Milwaukee police have any suspects.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
