Spanish Police Recover Famous Stolen Painting

The Spanish police announced the recovery of the fourth painting among five works by painter Francis Bacon that were stolen from an apartment in Madrid in 2015. In a statement issued today, Thursday, the police said that the painting, dating back to 1989 and depicting a man's head, is titled "Study for a Portrait of José Caballero," and is valued at five million euros (5.4 million dollars). It was recovered after the arrest of two individuals in February who are suspected of having received two of Bacon's five stolen works. The total value of the five stolen paintings at the time was reported to be 25 million euros. These works were part of a collection owned by a close friend of Bacon, who reported the theft to the police in July 2015. The police stated that they have arrested 16 people, including the thieves, since the investigation began. The statement also noted that the police continue to search for the fifth painting, with investigations focusing on Spaniards linked to criminal gangs from Eastern Europe.