Teenagers Party in Abandoned Mansion but Regret Walking Off with Picasso Print

The story of a group of teenagers who partied in a California mansion and walked off with a Picasso print has been getting a lot of pick up. Today, the resolution will generate even more:

A Pablo Picasso lithograph worth an estimated $30,000 has been recovered after it was taken from the Novato mansion of imprisoned former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, authorities said.

The piece was reported missing by a caretaker May 28, a day after more than 100 teenagers held a party at Lazarenko’s house at 100 Obertz Lane, Novato police Sgt. Eric Riddell said.

It was returned to police Sunday by a citizen who found it propped up against a fence along nearby Burning Tree Drive, Riddell said.

“It appears the unknown suspect(s), placed the painting there and intended it to be found,” Riddell said.

The image and date on the lithograph match a 1957 series of 50 prints titled “femme au chignon,” or woman with bun. The lithographs, which depict a woman’s profile, are listed on numerous art websites. One of them — numbered 47/50 — carried an estimated value of $30,000 to $40,000, according to a 2008 Sotheby’s auction listing.

“It’s something that you don’t find usually on your morning hikes,” said Greg Atamaniuk, the man who found the piece at the entrance to an open space trail.

Marin: Stolen $30,000 Picasso found leaning against fence (San Jose Mercury News)