NORM: Wynn accidentally damages Picasso

Reviewjournal.com ^ | Oct. 17, 2006 | Norm Clarke

[Abathar]

Pablo Picasso's "dream" painting has turned into a $139 million nightmare for Steve Wynn.

In an accident witnessed by a group that included Barbara Walters and screenwriters Nora Ephron and Nicholas Pileggi, Wynn accidentally poked a hole in Picasso's 74-year-old painting, "Le Reve," French for "The Dream."

A day earlier, Wynn had finalized a record $139 million deal for the painting of Picasso's mistress, Wynn told The New Yorker magazine

The accident occurred as a gesturing Wynn, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that affects peripheral vision, struck the painting with his right elbow, leaving a hole the size of a silver dollar in the left forearm of Marie-Theresa Walter, Picasso's 21-year-old mistress.

"Oh shit, look what I've done," Wynn said, according to Ephron, who gave her account in a blog published on Monday.

Wynn paid $48.4 million for the Picasso in 1997 and had agreed to sell it to art collector Steven Cohen. The $139 million would have been $4 million higher than the previous high for a work of art, according to The New Yorker.

Cosmetics magnate Ronald Lauder paid $135 million in July for Gustav Klimt's 1907 portrait "Adele Bloch-Bauer I."

Wynn plans to restore "Le Reve" and keep it.

[Abathar]

Ooooops.......

[sarasota]

Yeah, the horror.

[MplsSteve]

As Homer Simpson would say...

DOOOOOHHHHH!

[So Cal Rocket]

Yeah, I remember ruining a painting the same way that Wynn did... only mine was "Dogs Playing Poker".

[al baby]

you break it you buy it

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

[Quilla]

[nuconvert]

Sounds like more of a nightmare than a dream

[Joe 6-pack]

Libs just blazing the trail so their moslem overlords won't have to destroy all decadent western art when they've taken over.

[RegulatorCountry]

Assuming the canvas can be properly repaired, and it sounds like it can be, I doubt this will impact the value at all. But, I bet the guy had to go throw up after he realized what he'd done, lol.

[ArrogantBustard]

I'm having more than a little trouble getting worked up over damage to that.

[Fido969]

Klutz.

[Doctor Raoul]

It's Bush's fault...

[Abathar]

That's a Picasso all right.

[dfwgator]

Cosmetics magnate Ronald Lauder paid $135 million in July for Gustav Klimt's 1907 portrait "Adele Bloch-Bauer I."

Trendy Man: Mr. Melon, your wife was just showing us her Klimt.
Thornton Melon: You too, huh? She's shown it to everybody.
Trendy Man: Well, she's very proud of it.
Thornton Melon: I'm proud of mine too. I don't go waving it around at parties, though.
Trendy Man: It's an exceptional painting.
Thornton Melon: Oh, the painting.

[theDentist]

[1rudeboy]

Let this be a lesson to all of us that are ready to drop $139 million on a painting.

[ErnBatavia]

When he owned the Bellagio in Las Vegas, wifey and I took the tour of his multi-million dollar art gallery....there were all sorts of security devices, and if you'd lean over the velvet rope, like I did to get a closer glimpse of a small picture, a guard would quickly whisper you away.

[pbear8]

I saw him last time we stayed at Wynn Las Vegas. He has a very large bodyguard and as people began to notice him you could hear the buzz, "Steve Wynn, Steve Wynn", being whispered along the big corridor. He wasn't carrying a Picasso at the time.

[Abathar]

Yep, considering he had it sold for more than any other painting to date, his butt is probably sore from kicking himself.

[pillut48]

[Abathar]

LOL!

[Quilla]

None of Picasso's works blow my skirt up - maybe I'm simply pointing out how uncouth I really am. ;-)

[Abathar]

It's because he was first, now most any high school art class has about the same thing hanging on all the walls. Compared to the Mona Lisa he comes up far short.

[tioga]

Guess I would make a poor art connoisseur......I don't like it.

[sarasota]

Nah. It's just a tribute to his ego to be thrilled by a piece of canvas with some paint on it.

[ArrogantBustard]

If it's BS, call it BS. The trendy and the pseudo-sophisticated can gush all they like over BS, but it still stinks.

[east1234]

What is that sticking out of her chin? Was Picasso a congressional page?

[Delta 21]

"Oh shit, look what I've done,"

HA HA

[lakeman]

Reminds me of a show I saw on the toob of a guy showing an original clay recording(round tube shaped) the poor fellow had the shakes or something and grabbed to hard and it crushed. He was visibly devastated.

[Abathar]

Your right, unless you find one at a garage sale for $20. Then they have the greatest sense of worth in the world....

[knarf]

Hey .. I remember her ... on a rooftop on Beacon Hill .. Murhy St., I think .. a beautiful, balmy summer evening/morning (who really knew through all the acid .. ) we ..

What?
1932?
Oh ... no .... I was thinking more like 1968 or 9.

Never mind.

[Toby06]

The reaction?

[Toby06]

damnit.

[theDentist]

We all have our tastes... I think it's pretty cool...

[Thrownatbirth]

Wynn can blame the Francoists.

[CarrotAndStick]

The new 'Le Reve' :

[bunches]

My little 3 year old boy, years ago, accidentally sat on a chair at the Toledo Museum of Art that was a replica of a medieval lord's chair or something. It wasn't roped off so he plopped right on it and said "Hi Mommy!".

With the look that the museum guard gave me you would think we had stolen the "Mona Lisa" (which wasn't there anyway)or carted off the Egyptian Mummy (which was).

I especially hate going into the glass museum where the glass sculpters or whatever are out on the floor as opposed to behind cases. I walk with my arms straight at my side and dip in and out of passersbys. It is quite comical.

Sigh...sometime it is easier to just view art in a book!

[knarf]

Good one, Delta 21 .. Good one !

[ikka]

Cue the scene from Mr. Bean's film ...

[whatexit]

It is indeed. I had the pleasure of seeing it in its former owners home, where it had been for decades. As with so many works, repro's never do it justice.

[Dick Vomer]

Picasso is probably one of the greatest artist in the last century. He could paint in any style...this is an example of his painting when he was about 15 or 16 years of age . Notice the shading and color in the background that adds depth to the portrait... the kid was real real talented. He just got tired of the impressionistic style...looked around and basically found his own style...

Please don't think that he was "made" ..... the guy could flat out paint, sketch draw and create....

he was bred like Tiger Woods to be a great artist, but was also a shrewd businessman and took the styles of many types to develop what is the Picasso type he is famous for. He was an artist...no more no less... As for the kiddie style that is a matter of interpretation... It's a lot harder than it seems. I think..

[Jeff Chandler]

Holy crap! How on earth did he manage to screw that painting up like that with just an elbow poke?

[Michael.SF.]

Picasso is probably one of the greatest artist in the last century.

Fine. But why did he pick a Mistress with a penis growing out of her chin?

[RightWhale]

Have seen his pencil drawing. As perfect as one could imagine. An excellent draftsman, which is the main prerequisite to being a great artist. Got to be able to execute.

[sine_nomine]

That is so %*#$% funny I am glad I was not drinking something at the time.

[sine_nomine]

I did the same with the famous statue of the ballerina. I just had to touch the dress. The guard was polite. He said if everyone did what I did, there would be no dress left.

[leilani]

ROTFL!!!!!Perfection!

[robertpaulsen]

"But that was a priceless Picasso!"

"Not anymore."

[ViLaLuz]

A little duct tape on the back, and it will be as good as new.