A portrait painted by Pablo Picasso depicting his famed muse Marie-Thérèse Walter has been recovered after unexpectedly surfacing during a drug raid in Champigny-sur-Marne, a suburb east of Paris. During the June 15 raid, authorities discovered the stolen painting alongside €200,000 ($229,000) worth of luxury clothing, nearly 40 pounds of cannabis, and €7,000 ($8,000) in cash.
The painting is reportedly part of a series of portraits Picasso created of Walter, who was both his muse and lover during the 1920s and ’30s. Often referred to as Picasso’s “golden muse,” Walter inspired numerous paintings and sculptures throughout their relationship, which began when she was 17 and Picasso was 45 and married to his first wife, Olga Khokhlova. Picasso is said to have approached Walter and told her she had “an interesting face” that he wanted to paint, beginning an affair that lasted for years and resulted in the birth of their daughter, Maya Widmaier-Picasso.
Walter served as Picasso’s muse for nearly a decade, inspiring some of his most recognizable paintings, including Woman in Hat and Fur Collar, La Lecture, and Reclining Nude. Today, portraits of Walter remain among Picasso’s most sought-after works, celebrated for their vivid colors and dreamlike forms.
Authorities have revealed that the recovered portrait belongs to a Singaporean woman and could be worth tens of millions of dollars, based on previous sales from Picasso’s series depicting Walter. One such painting, Woman in Beret and Checkered Dress (1937), sold for $83 million at Sotheby’s in 2018.
Among the six people arrested during the June 15 raid was a security guard employed at a storage facility for art and other high-value items. He admitted to taking the painting, but claimed he did so in an attempt to expose weaknesses in the company’s security measures. Two suspects have since been released from custody, while four others are expected to stand trial in August.
Although authorities have not disclosed the painting’s title, its recovery marks an unexpected turn in a narcotics investigation—and a fortunate one for its owner. Once legal proceedings conclude, the portrait is expected to be returned.
A Pablo Picasso painting of his former lover Marie-Thérèse Walter has been recovered after unexpectedly surfacing during a drug raid in Paris.
Pablo Picasso, Woman in Hat and Fur Collar (Marie-Teresa Walter) (1937). (Photo: Edgardo W. Olivera, CC BY 2.0)
Walter was Picasso’s muse for nearly a decade, inspiring some of his most recognizable paintings.
The painting that was recently recovered in the drug raid has not been identified by name, but it is presumed to be worth millions.
Source: Stolen Picasso Turns Up During Paris Drug Bust
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