Distress can have a powerful effect on the human mind. The BBC News seems to be suggesting that Vladimir Ostrovsky, a Ukrainian museum director, has hopes that one of his institution’s works is a long lost Titian because of the loss of an important art work to thieves a year earlier:

Alexander Kosolapov, the State Hermitage Museum’s head of scientific and technical examination, said: “We know it is a 16th Century Venetian painting, most likely either by Titian or Tintoretto.

“But right now it is not fully clear.”

Thieves made off with Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ – also known as Judas’ Kiss – from the Museum of Western and Eastern Art in July last year, and has yet to be found. Referring to the doge portrait, Mr Ostrovsky said: “Now we are nearly 100% certain that God has compensated us for the terrible loss that we suffered last year.”

Titian Claim Over Doge Portrait (BBC News)