Agence France Presse reveals another wrinkle in the case of the 71-year-0ld electrician who had 271 Picasso works in his garage for four decades. It turns out that his cousin was also Picasso’s chauffeur. The master gave the chauffeur some paintings during his final years. Now the chauffeur’s widow has died and it Le Guennec appears among the heirs:

Now, Le Guennec and his wife Daniele say that they are heirs to even more Picassos, as they are “distant cousins” of his former chauffeur, Maurice Bresnu, who said that the artist also gave him many gifts.

Bresnu’s widow, Jacqueline, inherited the pictures, dating from 1967 to 1973, when he died in 1991. Following her death in 2009, her heirs decided to put them up for auction in Paris on Thursday.

But that sale was dramatically postponed on Tuesday at the request of one of her heirs because of publicity surrounding the Le Guennec’s own trove, which has been seized by the authorities pending the outcome of the investigation. […]

Although the full details of the works due to be auctioned were not known, the most beautiful piece is reportedly a female nude from 1972 with an estimate of 60,000 to 80,000 euros.

Retired French electrician says heir to second Picasso trove (AFP)