Spielberg finds stolen Rockwell in his collection

A Norman Rockwell painting stolen from a gallery in St. Louis, Mo., more than three decades ago was found in Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg's art collection, the FBI announced Friday.

Spielberg purchased the painting, entitled Russian Schoolroom, in 1989 from a legitimate dealer and did not know it was stolen until his staff spotted its image last week on an FBI website listing stolen works of art, the bureau said in a statement.

After Spielberg's staff brought it to the attention of authorities, an FBI agent and an art expert inspected the painting at one of Spielberg's offices and confirmed its authenticity Friday morning.

Early FBI estimates put the painting's value at $700,000 US, officials said.

Spielberg is co-operating with the FBI and will retain possession of the painting until its "disposition can be determined," the bureau said.

The oil-on-canvas painting shows children in a classroom with a bust of communist leader Vladimir Lenin.

It was taken in a gallery heist and then resurfaced briefly in legitimate art forums before disappearing again. At the time of the theft, the work was 41-by-94 centimetres.

Up for sale in 1989

In 2004, the FBI's newly formed Art Crime Team initiated an investigation to recover the work after determining it had been advertised for sale at a Rockwell exhibit in New York in 1989.

It was not immediately known whether Spielberg purchased the painting at that New York exhibit.

Spielberg is a longtime Rockwell collector. He helped found the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., where he is also on the board of trustees.

Rockwell's works often capture moments from everyday life, such as a boy watching his father shave, family members saying grace over a Thanksgiving turkey or a young girl having a dress fitting.