£50m Gustav Klimt painting stolen 23 years ago found by gardener stuffed in bin bag

A £50million Gustav Klimt painting that was stolen 23 years ago has been found by a gardener after it was stuffed in a bin bag.

The painting – believed to be “Portrait of a Lady” – was discovered after workers cleared ivy from the wall of the Ricci Oddi gallery in Italy, and came across a small trap door.

Inside the door was a plastic rubbish bag that contained the artwork – which could be valued at a £50million.

Police in the northern city of Piacenza took charge of the find after its discovery and art experts will now examine it to check its authenticity.

Jonathan Papamarengh, head of culture in Piacenza town council, described the unexpected discovery as “incredible”.

£50M DISCOVERY

When the painting was stolen from the gallery on February 22, 1997, the frame was discarded on the roof of the building in an attempt to show that thieves had broken in through the skylight.

That was not the case as the skylight was too small for the painting to fit through.

The painting’s condition is excellent. It seems strange to believe it has been tucked away in a wall, close to the ground and vegetation for 22 years

The worker who found the painting said initially he thought the black bag was just rubbish.

Papamarengh said it was hard to believe that the original had been hidden in the gallery wall ever since its disappearance.

He said the building was carefully searched after the theft.

He added: “The painting’s condition is excellent. It seems strange to believe it has been tucked away in a wall, close to the ground and vegetation for 22 years.”

Papamarengh said the Klimt was second on the list of most valuable art missing in Italy, just behind a painting by Caravaggio stolen from a church in Sicily in 1969.

Portrait of a Lady was painted in 1916-17 by the Viennese artist towards the end of his life.

The original painting was of a young girl from Vienna who had died.

Klimt had painted over the portrait when the girl suddenly died, to forget the pain of her death.