ROME (AP) — Canadian and Italian officials celebrated Thursday the safe recovery of a photographic portrait of Winston Churchill known as the “Roaring Lion” that was stolen in Canada and recovered in Italy after a two-year police search.
At a ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Rome, Italian police officials presented the portrait to Canadian Ambassador to Italy Elissa Goldberg, who praised the cooperation between Italian and Canadian investigators that led to the recovery of the body.
A 1941 portrait of the British leader taken by Ottawa photographer Yousuf Karsh is now preparing for its final journey to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, the Ottawa hotel from which it was stolen, where it will once again be exhibited as a remarkable historical portrait.
Canadian police say the portrait was stolen from the hotel sometime between Christmas 2021 and Jan. 6, 2022, and replaced with a fake. The switch was only discovered months later, in August, when a hotel employee noticed the picture wasn't hung properly and looked different from the others.
Nicola Cassinelli, a lawyer based in Genoa, Italy, bought the portrait at Sotheby's online auction in May 2022 for 5,292 British pounds. He said the auction house called him in October of that year, advising him not to sell or give away the portrait because of an investigation into the theft in Ottawa.
Cassinelli, who attended Thursday's ceremony, said he had intended to buy a regular print, but once he learned the truth about Churchill's famous photo, he quickly agreed to have it sent to his home.
“I immediately decided to return it to Chateau Laurier because I think Mr. Kirsch's donation to the hotel meant that he really wanted to keep it there because it meant something special to him and to his wife,” Cassinelli told The Associated Press.
Karsh took this famous photo during Churchill's wartime visit to the Canadian Parliament in December 1941. The image launched Karsh's career, photographing some of the 20th century's most famous figures, including Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein and Queen Elizabeth.
Karsh and his wife Estrellita donated the original, signed prints to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in 1998. The couple lived and operated a studio at the hotel for nearly 20 years.
Fairmont Chateau Laurier general manager Genevieve Dumas said Thursday she was extremely grateful.
“We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who worked hard to resolve this case and ensure the safe return of this priceless piece of history.”
Police arrested a 43-year-old man from Powassan, Ontario, in April and charged him with theft and trafficking in the portraits. The man, whose name is protected by a publication ban, faces charges including forgery, theft over $5,000 and trafficking in property obtained by crime over $5,000.
