French police have recovered a work by Spanish painter Pablo Picasso during a house search near Paris. The French Public Prosecution Service confirmed this on Saturday. The work may be worth millions of euros.
“This discovery was made during a search as part of an investigation into drug trafficking,” said a statement from the Public Prosecution Service. An investigation has now been opened into theft and fencing. The painting has been verified as a work by the Spanish master.
According to the French newspaper Le Parisien it is a portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter. The French model was one of Picasso’s muses, with whom he also had a child. The painting was probably made between 1927 and 1935 and is potentially worth between 12 and 15 million euros, depending on the condition of the work.
According to the French newspaper, the search took place on Monday in Champigny-sur-Marne, southeast of central Paris.
Four suspects were brought before the judge on Friday in connection with the case. In addition to Picasso’s work, the police seized cannabis, designer clothing and several thousand euros in cash, the Public Prosecution Service said.