Picasso painting worth $650,000 mysteriously vanishes days before Louvre jewelry heist

A Picasso painting was stolen earlier this month in a mysterious case that has left authorities with a lot of questions.

The painting was scheduled to be displayed in an exhibition titled 'Still Life: The Eternity of the Inanimate' at the CajaGranada Cultural Center in Granada, Spain.

It was meant to be arriving alongside 56 other paintings from various artists that private collectors had procured; however, when the van containing the artwork arrived at the center on Friday (October 3), staff were surprised to discover, when opening the crates three days later, that it was nowhere to be seen.

The painting, named 'Still Life with Guitar', was created by Picasso in 1919, and isn't huge, measuring just 5 inches by just under 4 inches, and is insured for more than $650,000. It features a guitar alongside several other objects, like a bottle and a sheet of paper.

But now it is the centre of a police investigation.

Pablo Picasso painted the piece in 1919 (Sanford Roth/Photo Researchers History/Getty Images)

The CajaGranada foundation said that when the van arrived, the contents were unlocked and checked, and despite some of the packages not being numbered correctly, which made an 'exhaustive check' impossible, the delivery was signed off.

"Once the unpacking had been done, by the CajaGranada foundation’s own staff, the works were moved to different parts of the exhibition room," they continued (via The Guardian).

"Mid-morning that day, the exhibition’s curator and the foundation’s head of exhibitions noticed that one work was missing. The piece is a small gouache by Pablo Picasso, called Still Life with Guitar."

They also said they checked security footage from the weekend, and that 'no incident occurred' during that time. After discovering the painting was missing, they contacted the Spanish national police.

According to early findings by investigators, the van carrying the art left Madrid on the afternoon of October 2 for the 260-mile journey to Granada, but they made an unscheduled stop overnight in the small town of Deifontes.

Still Life with Guitar was the only piece missing in a collection of over 50 pieces (Picasso via CNN Newsource)

The two drivers then told police they took turns sleeping in or near the van and kept watch over the cargo all night, a source close to the investigation told ABC News.

Arthur Brand, an art detective, described the situation as 'crazy', telling ABC News: "If you’re moving art this valuable, you don’t stop overnight after four hours.

“You deliver it immediately. Doing otherwise is extremely suspicious.”

Grandian police said in a statement to CNN that 'an investigation is currently underway', adding: "The investigation is attempting to determine when and where the painting disappeared."

They added that the missing artwork had been added to the international database of stolen artworks, but that no international investigation would be taking place outside of Granada.

The incident came only a few days after the robbery at the Louvre in Paris that saw thieves steal numerous pieces of jewellery, though there is no evidence to suggest that the two are connected.

• US blocks World Cup star from entering country just days before tournament starts
• Authorities release details of how suspects pulled off Louvre robbery as 'stolen' items revealed
• Experts explain why stolen Louvre jewelry is 'unlikely to be seen again' as police 'race against time' to catch thieves
• Convicted jewel thief calls out 'amateur' mistake in Louvre heist as police 'race against time' to find priceless items