Picasso's ex-electrician, wife on trial over disputed cache
Would Picasso have donated 271 works to an electrician who worked for him for a few years in southeast France?
A French court began to contemplate that mystery on Tuesday at the start of a three-day trial of Pierre Le Guennec (Luh Gehn-EK) and his wife, Danielle. They 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.
Picasso heirs and a state prosecutor describe the couple's account as ridiculous.
Le Guennec quietly kept the 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-euro fine if convicted for concealing stolen goods.
