How will they fix the torn Picasso? Carol Vogel asked William Acquavella who has been trying to sell the picture–“Le Rêve”–Steve Wynn damaged with his elbow

Like a gifted plastic surgeon, a seasoned restorer has many options these days and a host of materials and instruments at his disposal, even acupuncture needles. They are not used as they would be in Asian medicine, to puncture a surface, or to sew a canvas, but rather are applied from behind to keep a tear flat.

Such needles were used to repair “Le Rêve,” said William Acquavella, the Manhattan dealer who was involved in an attempt to sell that painting on behalf of Mr. Wynn and who has shown “Le Rêve” at his gallery since it was torn. “It’s amazing what can be done these days,” he explained, adding that when they are finished restoring “The Actor,” the tear “will probably only look like a tiny pencil line. If that.”

Questions Over Fixing Torn Picasso (New York Times)