A Christie’s employee takes a picture of Pablo Picasso’s “Le Marin” during a media preview at Christie’s in New York (Picture: AFP)

A $70m Picasso self-portrait has been withdrawn from auction in New York after being ‘accidentally damaged’, Christie’s said.

The 1943 masterpiece, called ‘The Marin’ or ‘The Sailor’, was due to go under the hammer this Tuesday but was damaged ‘during the final stages of preparation’ on Friday.

‘After consultation with the consignor today, the painting has been withdrawn from Christie’s May 15 sale to allow the restoration process to begin.’ Christie’s said.

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The New York-based auction house gave no further details about how the damage occurred or how badly the piece was affected.


The piece had been a standout part of Christie’s marquee impressionist and modern evening art sale. It belongs to former casino magnate Steve Wynn, according to US media.

An image of the painting ‘Le Repos’ by Pablo Picasso is displayed at auction (Picture: EPA)

‘This is a very, very special Picasso that I’ve been trying to get forever basically,’ said Loic Gouzer, co-chairman for postwar and contemporary art at Christie’s, speaking to AFP.



It’s not the first time a Picasso owned by Wynn has been damaged. In 2006 the billionaire put his elbow through Picasso’s 1932 ‘Le Reve’ whilst showing it to guests in Las Vegas. The painting was later refurbished and subsequently sold for a reported $155m.

The businessman is a political ally of US President Donald Trump, but has recently come under fire after dozens of people in The Wall Street Journal accused him of alleged sexual misconduct.

Wynn has denied the accusations and claimed his ex-wife Elaine is instigating the charges against him as a part of a ‘terrible and nasty lawsuit’.

Christie’s sold Picasso’s 1905 ‘Filllete ala corbeille fleurie’ (‘Young Girl With A Flower Basket’) for $115m last Tuesday, making it the Spanish artists most expensive piece ever sold at auction.