Picasso’s handyman charged with stealing art worth €80m

Pablo Picasso’s former electrician and his wife have gone on trial in Paris accused of having stolen 271 pieces of the artist’s work.

Pierre Le Guennec and his wife, Danielle claim that the artist, or his wife, gave them the 180 lithographs, collages and paintings and 91 drawings around 1970 when Le Guennec began working as a general handyman at Picasso's estate.

The cache has an estimated value of €80 million.

The Picasso estate rejects this account which it describes as “ridiculous” and is suing them for illegal possession of the works

Mr Le Guennec kept the art works in a garage for decades. Produced between 1900 and 1932, the works have never been displayed publicly.

The Le Guennecs face up to five years in prison and a €375,000 if convicted for concealing stolen goods.

The three-day trial is likely to be complicated by the fact that some potential witnesses have died in the interim. The prosecutor’s case against the couple

does not mention who may have stolen the art.

About five years ago, Mr Le Guennec began worrying about what might come of the works after his death, according to his lawyer.

He wanted to avoid any legal headaches for his children, so he contacted the Picasso administration, which looks after works held by his heirs.

In September 2010, Mr Le Guennec travelled to Paris to have the works assessed by the administration. A few days later, they were confiscated by police.

The Le Guennecs have different versions about how they got the art.

Agencies