Stolen 16th-century Italian painting surfaces in Norfolk - but owner refuses to give it back to museum

11 March 2025, 14:16

A 16th-century painting which was stolen from a museum in Italy 50 years ago has surfaced in Norfolk - but the owner is refusing to return it.

The Madonna and Child painting by Antonio Solario was acquired in 1872 by the Civic Museum of Belluno before being stolen in 1973.

It later resurfaced in Norfolk in the possession of Barbara De Dozsa after her husband bought it.

Ms De Dozsa tried to sell the painting through a regional auction house in 2017 but it was spotted by someone connected with the museum and they contacted authorities.

Norfolk police returned the painting to Ms De Dozsa in 2020 as there had been "no response from the Italian authorities in relation to the investigation".

Christopher Marinello, who is a specialist art lawyer, has tried several times to persuade her to return it to the rightful owner.

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"It's the right thing to do," he told the Guardian.

However, according to the Limitation Act 1980, someone who buys stolen goods can be recognised as the legal owner if the purchase was more than six years before and "unconnected to the theft".

"Her first argument was that when the British police gave her the painting back, they gave her good title," Mr Marinello said.

"So I wrote to the police, and they sent her a formal letter saying 'by no means do we convey title to the painting'."

Asked why the painting was not just handed back to Italy if it was stolen, he said: "It's a good question. It just shows the failure of law enforcement to help the Italians out.

"The UK police said that this woman didn't commit a crime, so we’re not going to treat it as a criminal matter. It's a civil case."

Conservator for Civic Museum of Belluno, Carlo Cavalli, said: "The fact that the painting has been given back to you doesn't mean you have the title."

Mr Marinello is the founder of Art Recovery International, which focuses on stolen or looted art. It is based in London, Venice and New York.

Previous recoveries include a Matisse painting, which was stolen in 1987 from Stockholm's Museum of Modern Art.

He believes there is a moral argument for Ms De Dozsa to return the painting, but she has argued that she had to pay £6,000 in legal fees to resolve the problem as well as paying for storage and insurance.

Mr Marinello said that he understood from her that if he could reimburse those fees she would return the painting.

After getting permission from Italian police, he found an insurance company that would donate the £6,000. However, she later changed her mind.

"Her husband could not have paid more than a couple of hundred back in 1973," Mr Marinello said.

"It’s only worth maybe £60,000 to £80,000 now. She refuses to cooperate unless she gets paid the full value, but she can never sell the painting.

"No legitimate auction house will ever touch it … the Carabinieri have it on their database and will never take it off. As soon as that painting goes to Italy, it’s going to be seized."

Norfolk Constabulary said: "Norfolk Police have been advised by the UKCA to release the painting to Mrs de Dozsa given several years have passed and there has been no response from Italian authorities in relation to the investigation.

"We have returned the painting but would not, as the police, return this in a judicial capacity in terms of awarding legal title to the painting."