Henri Mattise’s Odalisque in Red Pants was stolen over a decade ago from the Caracas museum in Venezuela. Following a lengthy investigation and trial of those involved in its theft, president of Venezuela’s Cultural Patrimony Institute Raul Grioni has announced that the painting will be returned to Venezuela within three to five weeks.
The painting was found in July after Pedro Antonio Marcuello Guzman of Miami and Mexican Maria Martha Elisa Ornelas Lazo attempted to sell it to undercover FBI agents in Miami Beach. Guzman was ultimately sentenced to two years and nine months in prison while Lazo received one year and nine months for the theft.
