Oil painting worth thousands vanishes in front of owner's home

10 October 2023 , 11:08

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Mateusz Jarza with his prized oil paintings. (Image: Mateusz Jarza)

An artist placed one of his prized paintings outside his flat as he decorated his bathroom - only to find later the work had vanished.

Mateusz Jarza, 44, a Polish national who lives in Edinburgh with his wife and son, is a graphic designer who paints as a hobby and has sold some of his work for around £8,000, even winning awards. One piece he decided to hang on to was an oil portrait of Admiral Nelson, which took him four years to paint and he believed was worth £10,000.

The £4,000 painting that vanished from outside Mateusz's house (Mateusz Jarza)

But, speaking to Edinburgh Live, Mateusz revealed that on September 30, the painting was stolen: "We were decorating our bathroom, so everything had been taken out and we put stuff just outside so it was out of the way."

He says that he was home with his family and a couple of friends who were helping with the decorating, he then went outside and noticed the painting had vanished. Back in 2021, the painting was valued. At the time, the piece was unfinished but was valued at £7,000 but is now estimated to be worth around £10,000 or more, now that it is complete.

Mateusz said the style of painting was nothing like he had completed before: "It is the one that I can't part with, that's why I didn't want to sell it. It took so much work, so much detail. After working on it for so long, I feel like it was a part of me. And now it's gone."

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He didn't hear anyone outside the house and surprisingly, it was the only thing taken, despite other possessions being left outside also. Mateusz has reported the theft to the police and is also urging members of the community to keep their eyes peeled for the painting, in the hopes that it can be returned to him.

Kelis Cassia Edwards