Long-Lost Lucas Valdés Paintings Resurface at Auction Amid Spain’s Restitution Battles

Spanish police have recovered two 17th-century paintings by Sevillian artist Lucas Valdés that went missing nearly a century ago after being loaned to the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition in Seville. The oval oil-on-pine-panel works, originally part of the main altarpiece at the Hospital of the Venerable Priests, resurfaced when consigned for auction in September 2025. Alerted by the Archdiocese of Seville, Spain's Culture Ministry and National Police intervened before the sale, confirmed the works' identity, and negotiated their return to the hospital last week.