What's happened
The famous 1941 portrait of Winston Churchill, stolen from the Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa, has been recovered in Italy. The portrait, taken by Yousuf Karsh, was sold at auction without the buyers' knowledge of its theft. It is set to return to Canada for display.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, the portrait was handed over to the Canadian ambassador in Rome, emphasizing the cooperation between Italian and Canadian investigators. Business Insider UK noted that the portrait was sold at a Sotheby’s auction, with the buyer unaware of its stolen status. The New York Times highlighted the significance of the portrait in Karsh's career, noting its pivotal role in establishing his reputation as a renowned photographer. Each source illustrates different facets of the story, from the recovery process to the cultural implications of the theft.
How we got here
The portrait was stolen between Christmas 2021 and January 2022, replaced with a forgery. The theft went unnoticed until August 2022, when a hotel worker discovered the swap. An extensive investigation led to its recovery in Italy, where it was sold at auction.
More on these topics
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Yousuf Karsh CC was an Armenian-Canadian photographer known for his portraits of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century.
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Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a British politician, army officer, and writer. He was the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, when he led Britain to victory in the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955.
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Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a sovereign country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands. Italy is located in south-central Europe, and is considered part of western Europe.
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Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It stands on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of southern Ontario.