The executors of PABLO PICASSO's estate are suing a French pensioner for illegal receipt of works of art, after he unveiled a treasure trove of never-before-seen paintings allegedly gifted to him by the late master.
Retired electrician Pierre Leguennec, 71, claims Picasso gave him 271 works when he was working on the artist's home in the south of France in the 1970s.
The works, which include lithographs, watercolours, portraits and sketches, date between 1900 and 1930, and are estimated to be worth a staggering $77.1 million (£50 million), according to reports in France.
Leguennec reportedly approached the artist's son, Claude, to authenticate the works earlier this year (10).
But the heir swiftly filed suit against Leguennec, insisting his father would never have handed over such a collection of artworks.
A statement from Claude Picasso reads: "To give away such a large quantity, that's unheard of. It doesn't hold water. This was part of his life."
Police have since launched an investigation into how Leguennec came into possession of the works after being alerted to the lawsuit.
As WENN went to press, the pieces in question were being held by France's official agency in charge of halting the illegal traffic of cultural items.