[imagesource: National Art Gallery]

Almost nine years ago, thieves carried out a near-perfect heist at the National Gallery in Athens, taking two works by modern masters Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondrian.

Now ‘Woman’s Head’ (1939) by Picasso (seen in the image on the left) and ‘Mill’ (1905) by Mondrian (seen in the image on the right) have been recovered by police.

In 2012’s elaborate heist, thieves struck at the crack of dawn and took only a few minutes to strip the two paintings, along with a third, from their frames.

Sky News reports that they had set off the gallery’s security alarm several times, which led guards to turn them off,  giving the robbers enough time to make a run for it.

As well-organised as the thieves were, they managed to drop the third piece by Mondrian when they were escaping.

Fast forward to yesterday, and Greek police told Reuters that the two other paintings had been found at a gorge near Athens.

A gorge of all places, for highly sought after artworks?

The paintings can’t have been in mint condition.

This is Picasso’s ‘Woman’s Head’ in full:

Image: National Gallery In Athens

And this is Mondrian’s ‘Mill’ in full:

Image: Greek Police/ Reuters

A Greek man was arrested and the detectives are due to give a news conference today (Tuesday).

The BBC reports that officials are also expected to hold a press conference about the art recovery at the same time.

They also noted that Picasso painted the cubist portrait of a woman in 1939 and then gave it to the National Gallery in 1949.

Picasso said the painting was a gift in recognition of Greece’s resistance to Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

[sources:bbc&skynews]