A Matisse painting that was stolen from a Swedish museum a quarter of a century ago has been discovered by a British art sleuth. The artwork valued at almost $1 million will soon be returned Stockholm.

Christopher Marinello of the Art Loss Register in London, discovered the pricey artwork titled “Le Jardin” by the famed French master, Artloss.com reports. The man did not specify how exactly how he got hold of the painting.

"No arms were broken and no payments were made," he said, adding the painting would be returned to the museum through Sweden's ministry of culture.

The painting was stolen from the Moderna Museet in Stockholm in May 1987. The thief used a good old sledgehammer to break his way to the artwork during the night.

The painting emerged after a British art dealer consulted the Art Loss Regist to see if the painting was ‘clean’ or was on the world's database of stolen, missing and looted art. Marinello contacted the dealer and arranged to return the artwork to Sweden.

"It is fantastic that the painting has turned up again," Kristin Ek of the Moderna Museet in Stockholm is quoted by Artloss.com as saying. "It was stolen so long ago that really we had almost given up hope." The museum spokesperson also added that the artwork “seems to be okay and in good condition."

Henri Matisse's "The Garden", 1920.

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