Picasso's Electrician Claims He Was Gifted Hundreds of Unseen Works Worth $122 Million

The elderly man is now on trial for allegedly stealing the 271 rare works during his time of employment.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Working for a famous artist must have its perks, but a story that one of Pablo Picasso's former employees is telling is way too crazy to believe. A few years ago, Pierre Le Guennec, Picasso's ex handyman, and his wife, Danielle, revealed that a large collection of Picasso's works that have not been seen for over 30 years is stored in their garage. They claim that Pierre was given 271 works of art (lithographs, drawings, etc.) by Picasso's wife, Jacqueline. Picasso's heirs and a prosecutor believe that Le Guennec actually stole the works during the 1970s, and have taken the man to court this week in France.

According to the Guardian, the art that Pierre had stowed away was created between 1900 and 1932. He traveled to Paris in 2010 to have the works appraised before his death, but the police confiscated them shortly after. The 271 works could be worth as much as £80 million ($122 million), but if found guilty, Pierre could face five years in prison and fines of $425,000.

There is really no way for the couple to prove their story because Picasso and Jacqueline are both dead. Also, the man and his wife each told different stories about how the works came into their possession. Pierre says that he was handed a box, but his wife recalls him coming home with a trash bag filled with works that he received while Picasso was "tidying his studio."

[via Guardian]

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