Joan Miró lithographs recovered

THE Guardia Civil has arrested a man and woman for the alleged theft of two Joan Miró lithographs which were stolen from a property in Selva.
An investigation began after police received a complaint from a homeowner who reported that their original Miró lithographs had been replaced with copies. Suspicion fell on a couple who were believed to have taken advantage of their relationship with the owner to change the prints.
The first was found at an art gallery in Palma where it was on the verge of being sold to an art collector. The second was recovered following statements from various art dealers which pointed towards the lithograph being made available on the black market.
As a result of the arrests, officers managed to recover and return the artwork to its rightful owner in perfect condition.
Given his lengthy and illustrious career, there has been a robust market behind Miró’s work. Sotheby’s achieved the current record of $37 million in 2012 for the 1927 masterpiece, Peinture, executed at the height of the Surrealist movement. To date, more than 17 Miró works have sold for more than $10 million each and 47 works have sold for more than $5 million.