Syd Barrett Self-Portrait Painting Stolen -- And Returned -- From London Art Gallery

A self-portrait painting by the late Pink Floyd vocalist Syd Barrett, which was stolen Saturday (April 9) afternoon from an art exhibition in London, has been returned via the mail.

According to fan site Brain Damage as well as The Wire, it was "mysteriously posted back to the gallery undamaged and intact."

As reported by Brain Damage and The Mirror, the painting was taken from the 'Syd Barrett Arts & Letters' exhibition. The self-portrait -- which measures 31 cm by 23 cm -- was created sometime between 1961 and 1962 before Barrett joined Pink Floyd, and was given by Barrett to then girlfriend Libby Gausden.

"I am very upset at the theft of the painting, it has huge personal value to me and I am appealing for its safe return," Gausden said, according to The Mirror.

Art site Artlyst describes the painting as being "applied in a heavy impasto in blues, rusts, white and brown tones. It is almost abstract with a stylized rendered portrait of the young Barrett staring face on at the viewer."

A reward of 2000 pounds was offered for information leading to the painting's safe return.

Eloise Rowley, the Gallery's manager, said the painting was stolen somewhere between 2:15 - 3PM and asked anyone with information to contact the gallery.

This marked the first time -- and quite possibly the last given the bizarre turn of events -- the painting was shown in public. Previous paintings by Barrett, who died in 2006, have sold for thousands of pounds at auction.