A 1920 painting by Henri Matisse stolen from the Moderna Museet in Stockholm in 1987 has resurfaced in Essex.

Art dealer Charles Roberts was asked by an elderly Polish client to sell “Le jardin” in order to raise funds for his grandchildren. The dealer identified the painting as he ran a pre-sale search in the Art Loss Register.

“I didn't anticipate hearing that it had been stolen. It came as quite a shock to find that out,” Roberts told AFP. “It would have been good all round, but unfortunately it wasn't to be. As soon as I was informed of its status there was no question about doing anything but returning it.”

Estimated at $1m, “Le Jardin” is now locked in an ALR safe and will be sent back to Stockholm.

“We know that the piece made its way from Poland via a collector but do not believe that this collector or Mr Roberts had anything to do with its theft,” ALR executive director Christopher A. Marinello told The Independent. “Stolen artworks that are recognizable change hands often so there is no knowing where it has been in the intervening two decades.”

At the time of the robbery the thieves tried to extort a ransom from the Museum of Modern Art, which refused. “I commend the museum for not giving in to ransom demands a quarter century ago,” continued Marinello. “Stolen artwork has no real value in the legitimate marketplace and will eventually resurface ... it's just a matter of waiting it out.”

Meanwhile at London’s National Gallery, the attribution of a portrait of Girolamo Fracastoro (the man who first identified the syphilis) to Titian was officially confirmed.

The painting had been languishing in a little-visited room since its acquisition by the museum in 1924. Restoration and cleaning work led by art historian Paul Joannides have revealed new information about the canvas and technique, ruling out any doubt that the piece might not be by the Venetian master.

“Portrait of a Man” joins the twelve other paintings by the artist already in the National Gallery’s holdings, making it one of the most significant public collections of Titians in the world.