SEVILLE — Spain's National Police recovered two 17th-century oil paintings by Lucas Valdés in May 2026. Police returned the paintings to the Archdiocese of Seville on May 20, 2026, at a handover ceremony held at the church of the Hospital of the Venerable Priests in Seville.
The recovered artworks are titled "Samson Taking the Honeycomb from the Lion's Mouth" and "David Receiving the Loaves of the Presence from Achimelech." Lucas Valdés painted both works between 1698 and 1700. The artworks originally decorated the center altarpiece of the church, and church staff moved them to the sacristy for safekeeping during a renovation in July 1889.
The archdiocese loaned the paintings for exhibition at the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition in Seville. The artworks disappeared around 1930, after the exposition concluded. Researcher Diego Angulo viewed the paintings between 1921 and 1922.
Spain's Culture Ministry received a tip in September 2025 regarding two paintings matching the missing artworks, which were listed in a private auction catalog. Police launched an investigation to verify the identity and provenance of the paintings. Officers seized the artworks and advised the private owners to return them to the archdiocese.
Isacio Siguero, Secretary-General and Chancellor of the archdiocese, attended the ceremony. Dean Francisco José Ortiz also attended, along with Francisco Román, Executive Administration and Heritage Delegate for the Cathedral Chapter. Members of the Historical Heritage Brigade of Spain's National Police were also present at the ceremony. The Archdiocese of Seville stated, "Thanks to the fruitful efforts of the Archdiocese, the collaboration of the last owners of the works and the intervention of the Historical Heritage Brigade of the National Police, these two works by Lucas Valdés return today, almost one hundred years later, to the church of the Hospital of the Venerable Priests, where they can once again be contemplated by the faithful and visitors of Seville."