‘National treasure’ portrait of George Washington from early 1800s stolen from warehouse

A “national treasure” historical painting of the first president of the United States, George Washington, has been stolen from a storage facility in Colorado, police said.

Englewood Police Department said they received a call on 22 January that a “historical art piece” had been stolen from a storage facility in the 3300 block of South Sante Fe Drive, Englewood, near Denver.

The authorities added that the theft possibly occurred the night of 10 January 2024.

The painting, according to police, was created in the early 1800s and depicts a portrait of George Washington, one of the American Founding Fathers and the United States’ first president.

Crystal Essman, an Englewood Police spokesperson, told USA Today that the painting had been in a family’s possession for over 50 years.

She added that an investigation into other specifics about the theft is still ongoing.

‘It’s not often that we have historical artefacts or historical art pieces stolen from this city,’ Ms Essman said to the Daily Mail.

The approximate size of the historic painting is 24 by 30 inches, measured in a gold-coloured frame.

The value of this painting is undisclosed and is “hard to estimate due to its historical significance”, police said.

The police department, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Office, are asking the public to send in any information that they may have regarding the theft in order to locate the George Washington painting.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for tips, and tipsters can remain anonymous, the release added.

The Independent has contacted the Englewood Police Department for comment.