(Ottawa) A “small art collector” in Italy who bought a famous portrait of Winston Churchill says he was surprised to learn five months later that the solution to a mysterious, high-profile theft in Canada could be hung prominently on his living room wall.
Nicola Cassinelli, a lawyer in Genoa, plans to attend a ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Rome next Thursday to mark the return of the photographic portrait of the British prime minister, by Yousuf Karsh. The now-famous photo was taken during Churchill’s visit to the Canadian Parliament in December 1941.
Police say the Roaring Lion was stolen from the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa between Christmas Day 2021 and January 6, 2022, and then replaced with a copy.
It was only a few months later, in August 2022, that a hotel employee noticed that the photo was not hung correctly and that the frame was different from the others.
Me Cassinelli, who describes himself as a “small-scale art collector,” purchased the Churchill portrait in May 2022 at a Sotheby’s online auction for £5,292 (about $9,500 CAD).
The lawyer says he received a phone call in October 2022 from the auction house, which advised him not to sell or transfer the portrait because of the ongoing investigation in Ottawa.
“I was surprised because I was not aware of the theft in Canada,” he said in an interview with The Canadian Press on Thursday.
Just over a year passed before Sotheby’s called him again, asking for permission to provide his contact details to Canadian police, “because they wanted to talk to me.”
While surprised by the turn of events, Mr. Cassinelli was also “thrilled,” realizing that his purchase appeared to be a particularly special copy of the famous photograph — a signed photographic print that Karsh had given to the Ottawa hotel where he and his wife lived for many years. “I realized there was a real piece of history hanging there in my living room.”
The Italian lawyer then took the portrait to Italian police so they could work on the case with Canadian authorities. Shortly after, a call from Italian investigators confirmed that his portrait was the one that had been stolen almost two years earlier in Canada, he said.
Mr. Cassinelli said that while he bought the portrait in good faith, the photo should return to Canada where everyone can see it. He said he was “partially reimbursed” for his purchase, but added that he was not particularly concerned about his financial loss. “I wanted the ‘Roaring Lion’ to be home.”
The day he delivered the portrait to the Italian police, Mr. Cassinelli bought a cheap copy of the famous Karsh photo, which now hangs in his living room in its place at home. Although it doesn’t have the same historical significance, it is “very important to me because it reminds me of this incredible story.”
“And it’s something fun to talk about with friends and family at home when we have dinner together.”
Ottawa police said this week they arrested a 43-year-old man from Powassan, Ont., in April and charged him with stealing and altering Karsh’s photo.
Jeffrey Wood is charged with counterfeiting, theft over $5,000 and trafficking in property obtained by crime over $5,000.
His lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, said Thursday that he had begun discussions with the Crown “about a possible resolution of the charges.”