Police question ex-butler over artworks seized in Portuguese house

LISBON, April 24 (Reuters) - ‌Police said ​on ​Friday they had seized 278 artworks, including paintings possibly by ‌Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro, at a ⁠house in Portugal, and were questioning the former ‌butler of the late ‌owner on suspicion of trying to sell some of them.

Officers said the artworks, ​whose authenticity is yet to be confirmed, were thought to belong to ⁠a U.S. citizen who had lived in the town of ​Penalva do Castelo and died in 2024. They were found in the ​possession of the former ‌employee, they added.

The police statement said an investigation was underway, ⁠but did not go into further details on any charges.

The raids and searches under "Operation Butler" ⁠were carried out in collaboration with experts from ​the National Museum Machado de Castro, police said.

The artworks were attributed to 27 different artists, from ‌German Renaissance master Albrecht Durer, to Spanish modernists Picasso and Miro, ‌to British Pop Art painter David Hockney. ⁠The trove also ‌includes sculptures ​and other artefacts.

(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Andrei Khalip and Andrew ‌Heavens)

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