ABOVE: detail from Picasso’s Nature Morte a la Charlotte (1924), which was stolen from the Pompidou Centre earlier this year and recovered last month. A second stolen Picasso was announced recovered by Italian police yesterday.

Italian police announced yesterday that they busted a little ring of stolen art traffickers operating in France and Italy. They recovered Picasso’s View of Cannes, which has been missing since 1992, along with a Pomodoro sculpture and somewhat more randomly, a Gilbert & George work. All in, about 1.3 million euros’ worth. The Italian cops said they were tightening the noose on nine other alleged nogoodniks.

It’s been a good month for stolen-Picasso-finding: last month, French police recovered Nature Morte a la Charlotte from behind a wardrobe. The thieves apparently stashed it after finding that it was too well known to sell.

LINK: BBC > Arrest over stolen Picasso piece