A legal battle is brewing in Bayonne, France, over a missing painting featuring the animated character Shrek wearing a chef's hat. Local artist Erwin Dazelle has publicly accused restaurateur Lionel Elissalde of being responsible for the disappearance of his original artwork, which was displayed at the chef's former establishment "Chez Martin" until the restaurant closed. Both parties are now considering taking the matter to court.
The controversy has ignited social media discussions since Dazelle expressed his concerns on Facebook on Thursday, October 30. The missing artwork, titled "Shrek Chef," is an oil painting on canvas measuring 120 x 70 cm that depicts the beloved green ogre from the DreamWorks animated films dressed in white chef's attire and hat. "This is a work that was created following my selection by DreamWorks studios in the USA for their original artistic creations boutiques," explained Dazelle, a 51-year-old artist-painter and art glazier.
The dispute stems from events surrounding the sale of Elissalde's Bayonne restaurant "Chez Martin" in September 2023. After 15 years running the establishment on Rue d'Espagne, the chef left to manage a new restaurant called "Bistronomie" for the Aviron Bayonnais sports club. However, it wasn't until seven months later, in March 2024, that new tenants took possession of the Rue d'Espagne premises. During this interim period, the "Shrek Chef" painting vanished.
"Lionel Elissalde did not return it to me and claims not to know where it is," said an angry Dazelle, who has launched an appeal for support. The artist made a pointed accusation, stating, "I think he sold it to pay his debts." Dazelle emphasized the seriousness of the situation, saying, "I'm willing to be nice, but you can't make fun of people – a painting is not a flower pot." He has announced his intention to pursue legal action.
Elissalde categorically denies the theft allegations and says he is equally prepared to fight the matter in court. Deeply affected by what he calls the "deplorable display" of this affair on social media, the chef was emphatic: "I did not steal any painting, that's clear and simple." According to Elissalde, the painting was lost during the period when the downtown Bayonne premises sat vacant. "I don't know what the new owners did with the work. We spent a lot of time looking for it, a little over six months, but we never found it again," he explained.
The restaurateur pointed out that the painting had been displayed "for free" in his establishment and that he had already "provided financial compensation" to the artist. However, this falls far short of what Dazelle considers adequate, as he values his artwork at 3,400 euros (approximately $3,700). For Elissalde, this has become a matter of honor: "I'm going to defend myself, that's certain, in order to establish the truth." He has retained lawyer Béatrice Blazy-Andrieu to represent him in the case.
Blazy-Andrieu, the Bayonne-based attorney, questions why her client's accuser is "waking up two years later when he had all the time to recover the painting during the months of closure." She insists that "there was never any bill of sale" for the artwork. The lawyer's statement suggests that Dazelle had ample opportunity to retrieve his painting during the extended closure period but failed to do so.
As the legal proceedings loom, the whereabouts of the colorful "Shrek Chef" painting remain a mystery. The dispute highlights the complex issues that can arise when artists lend their work for display in commercial establishments without formal written agreements. For now, the beloved ogre continues to play hide-and-seek while both parties prepare for what could become a contentious court battle over the missing DreamWorks-inspired artwork.
