DAY 319

ARTISTIC ODDITIES

The Bad Dream

ON ELBOWS, PAINTINGS, AND LAWYERS

Have you ever accidentally torn, punctured, ripped, creased, or bent a precious painting or photograph? What about one you were about to sell for $139 million US?

Not many people can say that they’ve poked a hole in a Picasso, but Steve Wynn—the Vegas casino magnate—sure can.

While showing off Picasso’s Le Rêve (French for “The Dream”) to several friends, Steve gestured to make a point and accidentally pushed his elbow right into the painting, causing a “pop” and an elbow-sized hole.

Everyone in the room went quiet. According to the CBC³⁹, Wynn said, “The blood drained out of their faces.” Keep in mind that this all happened the day before the painting was to be sold to billionaire Steven Cohen. If the sale had gone through, it would have been the highest amount ever paid for any painting. Oops.

Steve Wynn filed a claim with his insurance company for the $85 million difference between the proposed sale amount and the painting’s estimate after the incident. Although the insurance company failed to recognize the claim (do they ever?), they settled with Wynn out of court—after he sued them.

The moral of the story? If you own a Picasso, make sure you have good lawyers. —GRG