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Authorities seized a drawing attributed to Pablo Picasso after it was discovered in a passenger's suitcase by Spanish customs officials in an Ibiza airport earlier this month, according to a statement issued by Spain's customs office on Monday. The artwork was not declared by the passenger, who was flying from Zurich. Trois Personnages (1966) by Pablo Picasso is valued at 450,000 Swiss francs ($464,658).
Picasso, one of the twentieth century's most influential artists, was born in Spain but spent the majority of his life in France, where he died in 1973 at the age of 91.
Initially flagged as "suspicious" by Swiss customs officials, the traveler was later questioned upon arrival by their Spanish counterparts, who then searched his luggage. Initially, the passenger denied the need for a customs declaration, claiming that the piece was a copy and providing an invoice for the work worth 1,500 Swiss francs ($1,549). Officials reportedly discovered another receipt referencing the Picasso drawing from a Zurich-based art gallery for 450,000 Swiss francs at the bottom of his suitcase. Because Switzerland is not part of the European Union's non-custom territory, artworks worth more than 150,000 euros must be declared. The traveler will face smuggling charges if the drawing is not declared to customs.
According to the report, a preliminary examination conducted by the director of the Museu d'Art Contemporani d'Eivissa with customs officials confirmed that "the work is original and that the price invoiced by the gallery is adjusted to the market price." Experts on Picasso's work will conduct additional research on the drawing. Trois Personnages is now in the hands of an Ibiza court, which will oversee the investigation.
Selena Mattei
