Photo: Reuters / Portrait: “Woman in a Beret and a Checkered Dress”
In addition to narcotics, cash, and luxury items, law enforcement officers seized a Picasso painting whose authenticity has already been confirmed by experts, according to Le Parisien. The title of the work has not been disclosed, but it is known to depict Marie-Thérèse Walter—the artist’s muse and lover, who became the subject of many of his most famous works from the late 1920s and 1930s.
According to investigators, the painting belongs to a collector from Singapore and was stored in a specialized art storage facility in Paris. Its value is estimated at 12–15 million euros.
Six people were detained as part of the investigation. Among them is a 37-year-old employee of a company that specializes in storing works of art and luxury items. According to investigators, he was the one who stole the painting from the warehouse. The man admitted to the theft and stated that he wanted to demonstrate the flaws in his employer’s security system. Law enforcement agencies are continuing to investigate this version of events.
During the searches, police also discovered approximately 17 kilograms of cannabis, designer clothing worth about 200,000 euros, and several thousand euros in cash.
Experts note that works depicting Marie-Thérèse Walter are among Picasso’s most sought-after pieces on the market. In 2018, the portrait “Woman in a Beret and Checkered Dress” sold at a Sotheby’s auction for nearly 50 million pounds.
The incident has also once again drawn attention to the problem of art theft. According to international registries of lost cultural property, Picasso is considered one of the most frequently stolen artists in the world. The high value of his works and steady demand from collectors make the master’s pieces a constant target for criminals, despite the difficulties of subsequently selling them on the legal market.
The investigation is ongoing. Once legal proceedings are concluded, the painting is to be returned to its rightful owner.
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