The 'Portrait of a Lady' by Gustav Klimt found in Piacenza last December by the staff who carried out extraordinary maintenance at the Ricci Oddi Gallery on behalf of the Municipality is authentic. "A piece of historical importance for the artistic and cultural community and for the city of Piacenza", the mayor of Piacenza Patrizia Barbieri and the councilor for Culture Jonathan Papamarenghi communicate.
The announcement, accompanied by applause in the hall, was given in Piacenza during a press conference of the State Police which gave an account of the results of the technical investigations arranged on the 'Portrait of a Lady' attributed to Klimt. The painting was stolen in 1997 from the Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery and was among the most sought after in the world. On 10 December last, during the cleaning works on an external wall of the same gallery, a cavity was discovered closed by a door, inside which there was a sack with the picture inside.