A stolen painting of Sir Winston Churchill, which was exchanged for a counterfeit during the pandemic, has made its way back to its rightful home in a Canadian hotel.
According to authorities, The Roaring Lion portrait—featured on the UK’s £5 note—was taken from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa sometime between Christmas Day 2021 and January 6, 2022, and was substituted with a fake piece.
The swap was only discovered eight months later when a hotel employee noticed that the frame was improperly hung and appeared different from the others.
The portrait is portrayed on the £5 note. Pic: PA
The painting had been sold via an auction house in London to a private collector and ultimately ended up in Rome, where two Canadian detectives secured its recovery.
Both the seller and purchaser were oblivious to the fact that it had been stolen, according to police reports.
Authorities have since charged an individual from Powassan, Ontario, with forgery, theft, and trafficking. This matter is presently under legal proceedings.
Genevieve Dumas, the hotel’s general manager, revealed the painting during a ceremony on Friday.
“I can assure you that it is armed, locked, and secured,” stated Ms. Dumas.
“It’s not going anywhere,” she remarked, indicating that staff accidentally triggered the alarm on Thursday while hanging the portrait.
Genevieve Dumas from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier stands in front of the portrait. Pic: AP
This portrait is among the most iconic images of the wartime Prime Minister.
Esteemed photographer Yousuf Karsh captured this image in 1941, shortly after Sir Winston delivered a stirring wartime address to Canadian leaders.
Later in his life, Mr. Karsh signed and bestowed the portrait to the hotel, where he resided and labored.
Nicola Cassinelli, a lawyer in Genoa who purchased the stolen artwork, sent a message to the unveiling ceremony.
“The splendid photograph by Yousuf Karsh encapsulates in Sir Winston Churchill’s eyes the pride, anger, and resilience of the free world. It epitomizes, more than any other, the yearning for the victory of good over evil,” he stated.
Despite the “extraordinary honor” of having the portrait displayed in his residence, Mr. Cassinelli emphasized that The Roaring Lion rightfully belongs to the public.
