FBI RECOVERS STOLEN JUAN GRIS

A dramatic six-year-long case of a stolen artwork is nearing its end following an FBI sting operation, according to the Art Newspaper. The FBI has announced that a Juan Gris painting, stolen in 2004, has been recovered in Florida and a suspect, Robert Dibartolo, has been charged with transportation of the stolen artwork.

According to the criminal complaint and affidavit, the painting was taken by unknown thieves who forcibly broke into the home of Clifton Hyatt in Saint Louis in 2004. The untitled canvas, a 1926 still life valued at around one million dollars, was hanging in the front entryway of the house.

The FBI started investigating the case, and then finally, in November 2009, Dibartolo spoke to an undercover agent about selling the painting, according to court documents. Just last week, on March 1, the defendant met with the agent at a hotel in Jupiter, Florida, and produced the Gris, wrapped in a blue packing blanket. After the undercover agent determined that the painting was authentic, Dibartolo was taken into custody, and the painting was later identified by its original owner.