Pablo Picasso denied ever having painted this "Erotic Scene" piece (pictured), telling his friend, and author Pierre Daix, "I’ve done worse. But it was a joke by friends.” But he probably never counted on future experts having the capabilities of finding out if the sexually charged painting was indeed the work of Picasso's own hands. And it seems that it is!
The Met's 19th century curator Gary Tinterow says the work is "slapdash. It’s clear it was done either in 1902 or 1903 in Paris or Barcelona... one of the poorest periods in Picasso’s life.” He also noted that it has the same pigments and canvas type consistent with other Blue Period paintings.
Since 1982 the painting has been in storage at the Met; Tinterow told the NY Times, “We haven’t shown the painting not because of its subject matter or because of questions of its authenticity, but because it’s not very good." But on April 27th the piece will make its US debut, as part of an exhibition showcasing nearly 300 works.
