In the early hours of Sunday morning, a Local Police patrol in Plaza de la Merced, Málaga, were surprised to find that the seat normally housing the bronze statue of Pablo Ruiz Picasso was empty.
The statue, a bronze figure by the sculptor Francisco López Hernández, depicts Picasso seated on a marble bench with notebook and pencil in his hands.
The statue was found about fifty metres away on another seat, undamaged upon first inspection, and the plan is to put it back in its proper place on Monday. Extra bolts will be added.
Police are trying to find out who was responsible for moving the statue. Plaza de la Merced is not covered by CCTV as plans submitted in 2009 to introduce video surveillance were finally rejected by the Andalucia High Court of Justice.