‘Lost’ Picasso painting spotted in Imelda Marcos home after son wins Philippines presidency

 A Pablo Picasso painting bought by late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and his wife Imelda, or a copy of it, has been spotted in her home eight years after it had been selected to be seized by the country’s government.  

The painting, called Femme Couche VI (Reclining Woman VI) was spotted above the sofa Imelda was sitting on in her apartment according to footage released in a documentary about the Marcos family called ‘The Kingmaker’.

Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the late dictator, secured a landslide victory in the recently held presidential elections. 

While it is unclear if the piece of art, one of eight targeted for seizure by anti-corruption authorities in 2014, is genuine, the unexpected appearance of the nude in blues and greens reclining on an orange and yellow bed has added to fears the family will use its now-increased power to further stifle efforts to recover ill-gotten wealth.

Marcos Sr’s term was rife with human rights abuses , including the arrest, torture and killings of his opponent. The family squandared away the funds in overseas bank accounts and real estate, and splashed out on jewellery, artworks and designer clothes. Imelda, the dynasty’s matriarch, became infamous for her enormous shoe collection. 

The family and its backers have since rebranded the Marcos name, with disinformation about Marcos Sr’s rule spread widely online, reported The Guardian. 

Ruben Carranza, a former commissioner for the presidential commission on good government (PCGG), which was set up to investigate and recover ill-gotten wealth, said it was unclear if the painting was a genuine Picasso.

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“Mrs Marcos has had a habit of buying fake paintings, as well as lending fake paintings for display,” Carranza said.

  Former PCGG chairman Andy Bautista tweeted that the Reclining Woman VI had also been seen in a 2019 documentary about the Marcos family titled “The Kingmaker.”  

From Manila to New York, the Marcos family had stashed cash in foreign bank accounts or ploughed into art masterpieces, jewellery fit for royalty, thousands of shoes, and real estate.