Authorities in Ibiza seized a Picasso sketch worth more than $460,000, after a traveler failed to declare it to airport customs
, according to a joint statement released by Spain's Tax Agency and Civil Guard.
The unnamed passenger, who arrived on the Spanish island on a flight from Switzerland, initially attempted to pass the drawing off as a copy of little monetary value. But a gallery invoice discovered in his luggage appeared to identify the work as an original. The alleged smuggling attempt took place in early July, though officials only released details of the incident on Monday after a preliminary analysis suggested that the signed sketch was a genuine Picasso work.
An invoice found in the passenger's luggage appears to identify the sketch as a 1966 work titled "Trois personnages".Spanish authorities said their Swiss counterparts had tipped them off about an airline passenger"carrying a work of art in circumstances considered suspicious." When the man attempted to pass through the green lane at Ibiza Airport, indicating he had nothing to declare on arrival, customs officers searched his luggage and uncovered the sketch.
An initial inspection by the director of a local museum, the Eivissa Contemporary Art Museum in Ibiza, found that the artwork is an original Picasso with a market value"in line" with the amount stated on the gallery invoice.Born in Spain in 1881, Picasso is thought to have completed 13,500 paintings and around 100,000 prints and engravings in his lifetime. He was a prolific sketcher, with his drawings frequently selling at auction for tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
4 killed when 2 small airplanes collide mid-air at North Las Vegas AirportFour people were killed when two small airplanes collided in mid-air at an airport near Las Vegas, officials say.
Read more »
4 killed when 2 small airplanes collide mid-air at North Las Vegas AirportFour people were killed when two small airplanes collided in mid-air at an airport near Las Vegas, officials say.
Read more »
4 killed when 2 small airplanes collide mid-air at North Las Vegas AirportFour people were killed when two small airplanes collided in mid-air at an airport near Las Vegas, officials say.
Read more »
4 killed when 2 small airplanes collide mid-air at North Las Vegas AirportFour people were killed when two small airplanes collided in mid-air at an airport near Las Vegas, officials say.
Read more »
4 killed when 2 small airplanes collide mid-air at North Las Vegas AirportFour people were killed when two small airplanes collided in mid-air at an airport near Las Vegas, officials say.
Read more »
American Israeli woman formerly jailed in Russia over cannabis talks about Brittney Griner's caseAn American Israeli woman who formerly served 10 months in Russian prisons after entering the country with a small amount of cannabis has spoken publicly about her case for the first time. — via TheGrowthOp brittneygriner cannabiscommunity
Read more »