Stolen Rubens painting recovered in Greece Published duration 2 September 2011

A painting by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens which was stolen a decade ago in Belgium has been recovered in Greece, police say.

Police said the artwork dated from 1618, but did not give the name of the work or provide further details.

Two people, both Greek, have been arrested.

Experts from the Culture Ministry confirmed the painting was genuine and described it as "particularly important", AFP reports.

A police source told AFP news agency that the work of art depicted a boar hunt.

He added that a man and a woman were being held on suspicion of possessing stolen goods, but that the pair were not believed to be the original thieves.

A museum official told Reuters that a Rubens painting called The Calydonian Boar Hunt was stolen 10 years ago from the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, in Belgium.

The painting was taken along with the more famous Flagellation of Christ, but the latter was dropped as the thieves made their escape.