‘A Rocky Coast, with Soldiers Studying a Plan’, the Italian Baroque landscape by Salvator Rosa, was handed in to authorities in Romania and recovered by officers from Thames Valley Police and Jacqueline Thalmann, curator of Christ Church Picture Gallery. 

Thames Valley Police are appealing for information about two other paintings stolen in the same raid: Sir Anthony van Dyck’s ‘A Soldier on Horseback’, dating from c. 1617, and ‘A Boy Drinking’ by Annibale Carracci, c. 1580, both of which have been on display since 1768 at Christ Church. 

Romanian police were contacted by a man in possession of the Rosa painting, who had sold on the other two artworks, which are understood to be somewhere in Europe. He chose to return the Rosa painting to the authorities. The man is being treated as a witness by Romanian authorities and has not been arrested. 

Jacqueline Thalmann, Curator of Christ Church Picture Gallery, said: “We’re grateful to the Romanian authorities and Thames Valley Police for their help in retrieving this priceless work and returning it to our gallery.

“The missing paintings have been on public view since 1768, so it’s vital that we recover them so they can be enjoyed and studied by all once more. Not only do the paintings form a significant part of our collection, but their significance to our British and European culture is inestimable.

“I’d like to appeal to anyone who has any information which can help return the remaining pictures to our gallery, where they can continue to enrich our public life.”

Watch more about the theft here.