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'Picasso' deal on the cards
21/07/2004 10:44 - (SA)
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| A Thai woman shows a copy of the painting. (Pornchai Kittiwongsakul, AFP) |
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Bangkok - Thailand was on Wednesday considering a deal to keep a picture reputedly drawn by Pablo Picasso as a teenager, an art historian claimed.
A Thai consortium that owns the pastel profile of a woman has offered it to the nation for $50m instead of selling it abroad, Professor Winai Phun-numphon of Bangkok's Silpakorn University said.
Market experts said the picture sounded similar to Picasso pictures of the era but cast doubts over its value, saying if it proved genuine was likely to reach about $100 000 to $200 000 at auction.
Independent experts have not authenticated it amid scepticism over the claims and Picasso experts contacted by AFP said they had no knowledge of the picture.
The piece has been named Original Carmen by its owners who claim it was drawn around 1897 when Picasso was 16. They say it is similar to Picasso's pencil drawing Carmen, on display in Barcelona.
'Strokes are unique'
Businessman Sittha Tianukrit, a member of the consortium, said earlier this year that the picture was given to Thailand's King Rama V by Queen Maria Christina of Spain during a royal visit to Spain in 1897, just after its completion.
It was later auctioned and eventually sold to the present group of Thai owners.
Professor Winai said on Monday: "I am 1 000% confident that the picture was drawn by Picasso as artists could not hide their strokes even if they changed their style. Their strokes are unique."
"The owners are willing to sell it to the government if they are interested, and will sell it for $50m."
A teenage Picasso painting was sold last year for $458 000 at an auction in northern France.
General Kasemchart Naressenie, a member of Thaksin's staff, said he had seen the picture. "In my opinion, the picture is very beautiful and it is antique but I can't confirm whether it was drawn by Picasso," he said.
He said he had submitted a report to Thaksin saying its purchase would "benefit Thai fine arts" but said the Prime Minister was yet to make any decision.
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