Scottish man Dominic Currie believes he may have uncovered a previously unseen original work by Pablo Picasso. The piece, which bears a striking resemblance to the artistâs Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler , wasnât sitting in a secret vault, time capsule, or hidden location. It was rolled up in a suitcase in Currieâs attic.
Two years before her death in 2000, Currieâs mother Annette told him the true identity of his biological father, a Russian soldier named Nicolai Vladimirovich . On a trip to Poland during the Cold War, she became pregnant with his child and, knowing they could never be together, Vladimirovich offered the painting as a gift for Annette to sell.
For reasons unknown, she didn't, and the painting remained in a piece of luggage for over half a century. Currie couldnât bear going through his mother's belongings after her death and so the work remained in the dark, until now.
âIt was a bombshell,â Currie told The Scotsman . âWe had thought âLetâs just get this to the skip, letâs do itâ. We opened the case and there was some stuff, toys that I remember, that kind of thing. It was like a time capsule to the 1950s.â
The painting is now being authenticated by Christieâs in London, where another Picasso pieceâ Les Femmes dâAlger âsold at auction in May for $179.4 million .
An artist himself, Currie also told The Scotsman , âWould I have it on the wall? Yes, I probably would. Though Iâm more a fan of Matisse.â
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