Decades-old painting found in Capri home identified as a portrait of Dora Maar by Pablo Picasso
A painting once dismissed as “horrible” by a junk dealer’s family has been identified by Italian art experts as an original Pablo Picasso, potentially worth $6.5 million. The astonishing discovery was made by Luigi Lo Rosso in 1962, when he found the canvas during a routine cleanout in a cellar on the island of Capri, Italy. Unaware of its significance, Lo Rosso hung the piece in a cheap frame in his Pompeii home, where it remained for decades, largely unappreciated.
Hidden masterpiece dismissed for decades
The painting sat unnoticed for years, even as Lo Rosso’s wife repeatedly expressed her distaste for the piece, often calling it “horrible.” Although it bore Picasso’s signature, the family, unfamiliar with fine art, paid little attention. It wasn’t until Lo Rosso’s son, Andrea, developed an interest in art history that the family began questioning its authenticity.
“My father didn’t know who Picasso was,” Andrea explained to The Guardian. “He wasn’t a cultured person, and for years, I kept telling him it looked like a Picasso, but he didn’t understand.”
Andrea’s curiosity grew as he delved deeper into art history, leading him to question whether the painting hanging in their living room might be an overlooked masterpiece.
Experts confirm the work is by Picasso
After years of speculation, the Lo Rosso family finally contacted the Arcadia Foundation, an art research group, for an in-depth examination. Dr. Cinzia Altieri, a renowned graphologist, analyzed the signature, while Maurizio Seracini led a chemical-scientific analysis of the artwork.
The experts concluded that the painting was a portrait of Dora Maar, the French surrealist photographer, painter, and poet who had a significant relationship with Picasso. The artist and Maar met during one of Picasso’s trips to Capri between 1930 and 1936, and their nine-year relationship greatly influenced Picasso’s work.
While Dora Maar was a talented artist in her own right, only in recent years have her contributions have been recognized, with major exhibitions of her work held at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Tate Modern in London.
Potential $6.5 million valuation, awaiting official confirmation
If officially authenticated by Picasso experts, the portrait could be valued at an estimated $6.5 million (€6 million). However, the painting has yet to be legitimized by Picasso’s official authentication committees.
The discovery has sparked renewed interest in Picasso’s works from his time in Capri, a period that remains less documented than his later works. According to Artnet, a portrait of Dora Maar by Picasso sold for $95.2 million at Sotheby’s New York in 2006, highlighting the potential value of this remarkable find.
An unlikely journey from junk to treasure
For Andrea Lo Rosso, the painting’s potential value is a bittersweet reminder of his father’s simple life. “My father had no idea what he had found,” he reflected. “It was only by chance that this painting survived all these years.”
The journey of this hidden masterpiece from a cellar in Capri to the possibility of a multimillion-dollar auction is a testament to the unpredictable nature of art discovery and the enduring legacy of one of the world’s greatest artists.