Horrible Painting Revealed as a Picasso Masterpiece
PICASSO – A junk dealer found a painting that was confirmed in 2024 as an original artwork by the Spanish painter, potentially worth $6 million or PHP 338 million.
In 1962, Luigi, a junk dealer from Pompeii, Italy, made an unexpected discovery while cleaning an old house in Capri. Hired to clear out the property, he found a rolled-up painting of a woman in the cellar. Although there was a signature from the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in the upper left corner, Luigi didn’t recognize its value and dismissed it. Andrea Lo Rosso, who had not yet been born at the time, remembers her mother criticizing the painting, calling it “horrible.” Despite their lack of appreciation, they hung it in a cheap frame on their wall for decades.
Growing up, Andrea became fascinated with the painting and believed it was an authentic Picasso. She often compared its signature to those in encyclopedias, but her father didn’t see any similarities and remained skeptical. After many years, Andrea decided to verify the signature and sought help from art experts in Italy and renowned art detective Maurizio Seracini.
In 2024, after thorough analysis, Cinzia Altieri, a graphologist from the Arcadia Foundation, confirmed that the signature belonged to Picasso. The foundation specializes in valuing and authenticating artworks. Altieri informed Andrea’s family that the painting was indeed an original Picasso, created between 1930 and 1936, featuring his mistress, French photographer Dora Maar.
The painting is currently stored in a vault in Milan and will be examined by the Picasso Foundation in Malaga, Spain, which can officially authenticate it. Although Andrea’s father passed away before they could confirm its value, he had promised to uncover the truth about the painting. If authenticated as a Picasso, it could be worth around $6 million. However, Andrea emphasizes that their main goal is to learn the painting’s true story rather than seeking financial gain.
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