A painting discovered by a junk dealer in the basement of an Italian villa six decades ago has been identified as the work of Pablo Picasso and could potentially sell for millions, according to experts.
Luigi Lo Rosso, a treasure hunter who searched abandoned homes and landfills in Pompeii, Italy, found a rolled-up canvas in 1962 at a villa on the island of Capri. The painting, an asymmetrical depiction of a woman, hung in his family home for decades without anyone realizing its true value.
Picasso, painting, abandoned, auction
Art experts now believe the painting is of Dora Maar, Picasso's lover, based on its style and subject matter. It features a woman in a blue dress, painted in Picasso's signature asymmetrical style. At the time, Lo Rosso didn’t recognize the significance of the signature “Picasso” in the corner of the artwork.
For years, the family struggled to get the painting authenticated. Finally, in 2019, a graphologist confirmed the signature as authentic, and experts estimate its value to be around $6.6 million. If certified by the Picasso Foundation, its value could more than double, and the family plans to auction it in honor of their late father.
