Stolen Dalí artworks recovered in Barcelona

THE Catalan regional police force Mossos d’Esquadra has returned two stolen Dalí artworks to their rightful owners in Barcelona.

The charcoal drawings, made by the famous Catalan artist in 1922 and valued at €300,000, were stolen from a home in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi area in January last year.

Les sardanes de festa major and Els pagesos were painted by Dalí when he was 18 years old to illustrate a book that was eventually never published.

Once the police recovered the pieces, art experts examined the paintings with a series of techniques, including microscopes and ultraviolet light, to confirm their authenticity.

Three brothers in their 50s who operated in upper-class areas of Barcelona and Sant Cugat del Vallès have been arrested for the robbery, as well as two suspected collaborators.

The thieves reportedly acted at weekends when the homeowners were away, and targeted valuable artworks, collections of ancient coins and other antiques. According to the Mossos d’Esquadra, they were highly specialised in art and worked with a network of dealers to find buyers for the stolen goods.

In addition to the Dalí drawings, the Mossos also recovered five engravings attributed to Joan Miró, two works by Paco Solà, 55 watches, several collections of coins and notes from various countries and historical periods, and a wide range of gold and silver goods.