Elbow through Picasso nixes record art deal
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 | 4:17 PM ET
CBC Arts
Casino magnate Steve Wynn will keep and restore a Pablo Picasso painting that was accidentally damaged after Wynn put his elbow through it.
He had agreed to sell the painting, called Le Rêve (The Dream), to art collector Steven Cohen for $139 million US just before the accident.
The sale would have set a new record for any sale of a painting. It is $4 million US more than cosmetics magnate Ronald Lauder paid for Gustav Klimt's portrait Golden Adele.
A publicist for Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn says he often gestures while talking with guests. Earlier this month, he gestured so hard he put an elbow through his Picasso.
(Kin Cheung/Associated Press)
Wynn paid $48.4 million US in 1997 for the Picasso,which shows Marie-Theresa Walter, Picasso's 21-year-old mistress.
Wynn had accident while gesturing
Wynn, who his publicist says gestures while he talks, suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that affects peripheral vision.
He struck the painting with his right elbow earlier this month while entertaining guests at his Wynn Las Vegas casino, including Barbara Walters and screenwriters Nora Ephron and Nicholas Pileggi.
He created a hole the size of a silver dollar in the left forearm of Marie-Theresa Walter.
"Oh shit, look what I've done," Wynn said, according to Ephron, who gave her account in a blog.
Wynn is now looking at getting the painting repaired.
Share Tools
Whitney Houston's final song Celebrate debuts by Jessica Wong May. 23, 2012 2:46 PM It seems fitting that Whitney Houston's final release is an upbeat and uplifting duet in which she passes the torch to a younger singer with vocal powerhouse potential. In the high energy song Celebrate, from the upcoming film Sparkle, Houston duets with singer and former American Idol Jordin Sparks.
Top News Headlines
- Finley expected to detail EI changes today
- Human Resources Minister Diane Finley is expected to put an end to speculation about the government's plans to change employment insurance on Thursday when she holds a news conference. more »
- Economy trumps crime as top priority, poll suggests
- A new online poll suggests the health of the economy is the top priority for Canadians, ranking ahead of a crackdown on gun, gang and drug crime. more »
- How a CP strike affects Canada's supply chain
- When engineers and other workers at Canadian Pacific Railway walked off the job early Wednesday, they set off a strike that could affect coal mines, farms, auto manufacturing plants and maybe even the local Canadian Tire. more »
- Online surveillance bill opponents continue campaign
- The Canadian government's plans for its bill to give law enforcement greater powers over consumer internet information may be on hold, but a consumer group isn't giving up the fight against lawful access. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Ottawa Van Gogh exhibit a romp with nature
- The National Gallery of Canada's Vincent Van Gogh exhibit features 47 paintings pulled together from around the world that explore the Dutch artist's fascination with nature. more »
- Lady Gaga angers Thai fans with fake Rolex comment
- Pop singer Lady Gaga has caused a stir in Thailand after telling her fans that she planned to buy a fake Rolex from a market in the capital Bangkok. more »
- Tom Wesselmann celebrated in new Montreal exhibit
- With Beyond Pop Art: Tom Wesselmann, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is trying to give the reserved, modest American art icon the attention he deserves. more »
- Security breach alleged in making of bin Laden raid film
- A House committee chairman charged Wednesday in Washington that the CIA and Defence Department jeopardized national security by co-operating too closely with filmmakers producing a movie on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. more »
Q Blog
Stephen Merchant stands up for himself May. 24, 2012 9:47 AM The comic best known for collaborating with Ricky Gervais on hit TV shows "The Office" and "Extras," talks to Jian about recently returning to his stand-up comedy roots, whether there are taboos in comedy, and more.
CBC Books
The problem with modern motherhood May. 24, 2012 9:40 AM French writer Elisabeth Badinter has written a controversial new book about modern motherhood. It in she argues that parenting methods like attachment parenting undermine women. She explains why to Day 6.
- Canadian Everest victim warned by guide to turn back
- Police kettle Montreal student protesters, arresting 450
- Outhouse bear attack survivor was grabbed from 'throne'
- Prince Charles and Camilla jet home after 4-day visit
- Canadian Pacific Railway strike leads to 2,000 layoffs
- Disgraced RCMP officer transferred to B.C.
- Canadian climber describes Everest as 'a morgue'
- Calcium supplement use may raise heart attack risk
- Tsunami debris could bring shoes with human remains
