NEW YORK — Imagine this: a priceless work by Picasso, whose existence is a secret shared by few, resurfaces half a century later. At an estate sale in suburban New Jersey. Tucked inside a frame and hidden behind another piece of art.
Art collector Keith Coppola says the truth is beyond anyone’s imagination – and insists he has no interest in windmills with his story of finding the long-unseen Picasso depicting Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza while shopping for $75 worth of art in the Garden State.
kAm%96 H@C[ 52E65 u63] “[ `hdd[ 2?5 56=:G6C65 E@ E96 =2?5 @7 $AC:?8DE66? @?=J >@?E9D =2E6C[ 😀 E96 C62= 562=[ 4@?7:C>65 3J J62CD @7 5:88:?8 2?5 2FE96?E:42E65 3J 2 425C6 @7 H@C=5C6?@H?65 6IA6CED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ r@AA@=2]k^am
kAmw6’D:?G6DE65 >@C6 E92? 2 5@K6? J62CD ECJ :?8 E@ 4@?G:?46 E96 !:42DD@ 6DE2E6 @7 E96 >2DE6CA:646’D 6I:DE6?46[ 2 BF6DE E92E 3C:?8D E@ >:?5 2 72>:=:2C 492C24E6C @7 7:4E:@?]k^am
kAm“%96 H9@=6 E9:?8 😀 =:6[ ‘*@F’C6 s@? “F:I@E6P *@F’G6 364@>6 9:>[’” 24@DE 5@?’E H2?E E@ 36=:6G6 >6] qFE E96? 282: ?[ x’G6 8@E D@ >F49 6G:56?46 E92E J@F’G6 8@E E@ 36=:6G6 >6 :7 J@F C62==J =@@< 2E :E]”k ^ Am
kAm%96:?:42==J 2446AE65 D64@?5 :?42C?2E:@?[ 96 D2:5] %92E G6CD:@?[ D:8?65 3J E96 2CE:DE @? pF8] `_[ `hdd[ C6>2:?D DE@C65 :?D:56 2 32D6>6?E G2F=E 2E uC2?46’D $E] s6?:D r9FC49]k^Am
kAm%96 H@C
kAmqFE r@AA@=2 42 ? DA6?5 9@FCD C64@F?E:?8 E96 >:?FE:2 @7 9:D u63CF2CJ 2CEH@CF=E:A=6 4@?EC2DED H:E9 E96=2E6C A:646i xED DF3E=6:?4@CA@C2E:@? @7 E96 4@?DE6==2E:@?D:? 9@>286 E@ !:42DD@’D =2E6 H:76[ 2 9:556? A92==:4 DJ>3@=[ E96 @A6? >@FE9 @7 E96 2DD 36=@?8:?8 E@ $2?49@ — 2?5 6G6? :ED D:K6i ea :?496D 3J cg :?496D[ 4@>A2C65 E@ ed 3J d_ 😕 E96 G6CD:@?
kAmr@AA@=2[ dd[ 2 7@C>6C y6CD6J 8FJ ?@H 😕 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2[ ?@E6D E96 u63CF2CJ 52E6 @? 9:D H@C< 4@:?4:56D H:E9 E96 562E9 @7 !:42DD@’D H:76 @7 bf J62CD 2?5 =@?8E:>6 >FD6[ 32==6C:?2 ~=82 z9@<9=@G2 — 2 A:G@E2= =:?< E@ E96 ECFE9]k^am
kAm“$96 H2D !:42DD@’D 8@556DD[ 2 DA:C:EF2= :?DA:C2E:@?[” 96 D2:5[ ”2?5 ?@H D96 😀 56?:65 96C 6I:DE6?46 😕 E96 42A24:EJ E92E 96 >6>@C:2=:K65 96C] (:E9@FE ~=82[ E96C6 H@F=5 36 ?@ s@? “F:I@E6]”k ^ Am
kAmw6 2=D@ 4:E6D 2 5:2CJ @7 !:42DD@ A2= !6E6C $>:E9 H:E9 2 s646>36C `hdd 6?ECJ DA64:7:42==J ?@E: ?8″ pCE9FC 2?5 |2C82C:E2 92G6 8@?6 324]”F:E6 =2C86]”k^Am
kAm%96 C676C6?46 :DE@ pCE9FC v6EK 2?5 |2C82C:E2 v:33@?D[ EH@ 7C:6?5D @7 E96 2CE:DE]k^am
kAm$>:E9[ 😕 2? 62C=:6C 6?ECJ[ 2=D@ >256 C676C6?46 E@ E96 62C=:6C !:42DD@ H@C< @? |2C49 `f[ `hdd] p?5 D:?46 E96 @E96C s@? “F:I@E6 H2D F?BF6DE:@?23=J 4C62E65 D6G6? >@?E9D =2E6C[ r@AA@=2 D2:5[ E96 ECFE9 @7 9:D H@C< 😀 :>A@DD:3=6 E@ 56?J]k^am
kAmtIA6CED 2E E96 C6?@H?65 $@E963J’D 2F4E:@? 9@FD6 564=:?65 E@H6:89:?[ 4:E:?8 2 “?@ 4@>>6?E” A@=:4J @? F?G6C:7:65 H@C
kAmp?5 E96 !:42DD@ $F446DD:@?[ 😕 2? 6>2:= 7C@> E96 !2C:D 9625BF2CE6CD H96C6 :E @G6CD66D E96 2CE:DE’D 6DE2E6[ DF886DE65 r@AA@=2 D:>A=J F?62CE965 “2 C6AC@5F4E:@? @7 E96 5C2H:?8 >256 3J 2 r@>>F?:DE pDD@4:2E:@? 😕 E96 `he_D” 32D65 @? 9:D :?:E:2= a_`_ 2AA62= E@ E96 8C@FA]k^am
kAm“%96 $F446DD:@? DE2E6D E92E E96 H@C2J 36 2 {6D {6EE6CD uC2?42:D6D C6AC@5F4E:@?[ H9:49 😀 46CE2:?=J 2? 6CC@C @? E96:C A2CE[” C6DA@?565 r@AA@=2] “p55:E:@?2==J E96 H@C>F?:DE !2CEJ 😀 E96 pF8FDE s@? “F:I@E6[ ?@E >J H@C<]”k ^ Am
kAm%96 6DE2E6 72:=65 E@ >6?E:@? 2 D64@?5 DF3>:DD:@? 7C@> r@AA@=2 7@FC J62CD =2E6C H:E9 >@C6 6G:56?46[ 2?5 2? :?A6CD@? 2EE6>AE 7@C G6C:7:42E:@? E92E AC@5F465 ?@ C6D@=FE:@? 😕 a_`d] p D4965F=65 a_a_ =:G6 >66E:?8 H2D 42?46=65 3J r~’xs`h[ 2?5 r@AA@=2’D DE:== H2:E:?8 7@C 2?@E96C 492?46 2E D9@H:?8 9:D A:646 E@ E96 !:42DD@ 82E6<66A6CD]k^am
kAmr@AA@=2[ 😕 255:E:@? E@ 9:D @H? 2CE 6IA6CED[ 9:C65 DA64:2=:DED 😕 7@C86C:6D[ A2A6C[ :?<[ 42?G2D 2?5 6G6? E96 2CE:DE’D D:8?2EFC6 E@ 6I2>:?6 E96 A:646[ H:E9 2== 649@:?8 9:D 4@?4=FD:@?] p r9C:DE:6’D 6IA6CE@?46 6I2>:?65 E96 62C=:6C s@? “F:I@E6[ DE@AA:?8 ;FDE D9@CE @7 2 DE2>A @7 2AAC@G2= 3FE 4=62C=J DH2J65[ 96 C642==65]k^am
kAm“xE’D 2 >2DE6CA:646[” r@AA@=2 :?D:DED] “p?5 @?6 E92E’D >28:42= 36J@?5 36=:67]”k^Am
kAm%96 G6E6C2? 2CE 4@==64E@C[ H9@ ?62C=J =@DE E96 @?6@72<:?5 H@C< 😕 2? 2A2CE>6?E 7:C6 367@C6 C62=:K:?8 :ED G2=F6[ A=2?D E@ C6=62D6 2 D6C:6D @7 }u%D =:?<65 E@ 9:D “s@? “F:I@E6” 😕 2? 677@CE E@ 3@E9 =6E A6@A=6 564:56 7@C E96>D6=G6D — 2?5 E@ 8@25 E96 !:42DD@ 6DE2E6 :?E@ E2<:?8 2?@E96C =@@<]k^am
kAm“(6 H2?EE@ AFE:E:? E96 4@FCE @7 AF3=:4 @A:?:@?[ 3642FD6 H6 92G6 D@ >F49 6G:56?46[” 96 D2:5] “(6 766= E92E :?DE625 @7 8@:?8 324
kAm———k^Am
kAm©a_aa }6H *@CQm?J52:=J?6HD]4@ >k^2m]s:DEC:3FE65 3J %C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86?4J[ {{r]k^am
