Spanish Police Recover 17th-Century Paintings Missing for Nearly a Century
Spain's National Police have successfully recovered two 17th-century oil paintings by artist Lucas Valdés, which had been missing since 1930. The paintings, titled 'Samson Taking the Honeycomb from the Lion's Mouth' and 'David Receiving the Loaves of the Presence from Achimelech,' were originally part of the center altarpiece decoration at the church of the Hospital of the Venerable Priests in Seville. These artworks were last seen publicly during the Ibero-American Exposition of Seville in 1929, after which they were not returned and were believed to have entered a private collection. The recovery was made possible after Spain's Culture Ministry received a tip in September 2025 about the paintings being listed in an auction house's catalog. Following an investigation, the paintings were identified and returned to the Archdiocese of Seville during a formal ceremony on May 20, 2026. 
