France seizes smuggled $27M Picasso masterpiece that was banned from leaving Spain
Posted Aug 4, 2015 09:02:15 AM.
Last Updated Aug 4, 2015 10:00:13 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PARIS – French custom officials in the island of Corsica have seized a 24 million-euro ($27.4 million) masterpiece by Pablo Picasso that was banned from leaving Spain where it is considered a national treasure.
Corsican authorities say in a statement Tuesday they were tipped off about an attempted smuggling of the prized 1906 painting, “Head of a Young Woman,” to Switzerland.
The oil painting, which comes from the Cubist master’s “pink period” and features a woman with long black hair, was seized from a boat cargo on Friday, when the captain was unable to produce a certificate.
On the boat, authorities say, a document was found in Spanish confirming that the work was of “cultural interest” and was banned from leaving Spain, Picasso’s homeland.
