The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation has filed a lawsuit against a Massachusetts couple, seeking the return of a Pablo Picasso painting that was stolen in 1961. The artwork, titled “Femme dans un fauteuil” (Woman in an armchair), disappeared from the University of Pittsburgh while on loan and has now resurfaced with owners Lawrence Jay and Wendy Cohen Handler.
The legal battle began when a researcher at Christie’s auction house, evaluating the painting for a potential private sale in 2023, identified it as the missing Picasso. The Guggenheim was then notified, leading to a demand for the painting’s return.
The Handlers acquired the artwork in 1999 from Beadleston Fine Art, a Manhattan gallery that has since closed. Court documents do not indicate that the Handlers were aware the painting had been stolen, but the Guggenheim asserts its claim of rightful ownership, citing its acquisition of the masterpiece in 1936.
The painting was on display at the University of Pittsburgh’s Student Union on February 6, 1961, when a student reported it missing. At the time, it was valued at up to $100,000. An investigation involving local police and the FBI was launched, and a reward was offered, but the painting remained missing for 62 years.
The Guggenheim filed its lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court on August 10, demanding the painting's return and $3.5 million in damages. The museum stated, “We have attempted to settle the matter with the individuals holding the work. The Guggenheim is and always has been the painting’s rightful owner, and we look forward to its recovery.”
Picasso painted “Femme dans un fauteuil” in 1918, during his honeymoon. While its estimated value in 1961 was $100,000, its current worth is believed to be in the millions. Attorneys for both parties have not yet commented on the lawsuit.