Stolen Picasso and Chagall paintings worth £700,000 found in Antwerp basement

The two works were stolen from an art collector’s home in Tel Aviv in 2010

wo stolen paintings by Picasso and Chagall that were found in the Belgian city of Antwerp (Parquet of Namur/Handout via Reuters)

Belgian police have found stolen Picasso and Chagall paintings in a basement in the city of Antwerp, local authorities have said.

Investigators from Belgium’s federal judicial police have established that the artworks are Marc Chagall’s The Man in Prayer, signed in 1970, and Pablo Picasso’s Head, dated 1971. The paintings were stolen from an art collector in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2010 and are worth $900,000 (£711,000).

At the time of the theft, $680.000 worth of jewelry was stolen as well but only the paintings have been found.

Local police, who say the paintings are still in good condition, started an investigation when a source informed them that a Belgian national was offering both artworks for sale. The investigation finally led officers to Antwerp, where the two paintings were discovered in a cellar.

The local prosecutor said the main suspect has been arrested and charged with receiving stolen paintings.

Reuters