A damaged Picasso painting worth $70 million was yanked from an auction at Christie's this week, the New York Daily News noted.
It has not been specified how the pricey 1943 painting, "Le Marin (The Sailor)," was damaged, but it was reportedly an accident that occurred during final preparations on Friday.
Casino mogul Steve Wynn owns the painting, and the incident marks the second Picasso piece he has owned to sustain damages in recent years.
The first incident took place in 2006, when Wynn accidently pierced Picasso's 1932 painting "Le Rêve" with his elbow while showing it to a few of his guests, USA Today reported.
Thankfully experts were able to refurbish the classic painting, and Wynn went on to sell it for $155 million at auction.
Two outside conservators have now been brought in to make recommendations for the successful restoration of the "Le Marin."
"After consultation with the consignor today, the painting has been withdrawn from Christie's May 15 sale to allow the restoration process to begin," Christie's said in a statement, per ABC News.
"Christie's has a very high standard of care for the objects entrusted to us and we have taken immediate measures to remedy the matter in partnership with our client," the statement continued. "No further information is available at this time."
Meanwhile, 22 world records were set this weekend at the Christie's auction, which included an $832 million total for the priciest private collection of artworks and other treasures, owned by Peggy and David Rockefeller.
A Picasso painting of a nude girl holding a basket of flowers took top lot when it was sold for $115 million, against a pre-auction estimate of $100 million.
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