Picasso print should be evaluated in person

Q. We purchased this piece by Picasso 18 years ago and are curious about its current worth. The print appears to be No. 126 from an edition of 200. It is in excellent condition. The print is signed in the plate and has a handwritten signature in the lower right corner. It is dated 12-4-58.A. Before discussing art, we always make it absolutely clear that an appraisal cannot be done from photographs. There are too many variables, and an in-person examination is necessary to determine a value with any authority.Pablo Picasso entered the world in Malaga, Spain, on Oct. 25, 1881, and by his teenage years was skilled in drawing and painting. Over the years, Picasso's style continued to evolve dramatically, and he helped invent cubism (along with Georges Braque), surrealism and postmodernism.In short, Picasso is credited with helping to invent 20th century modern art. Much of his work is considered to be extremely important, and the best, one-of-a-kind original pieces can bring prices well into the millions of dollars at auction (his painting "Gar#231;on a la Pipe" sold for $104 million in 2004).Picasso was extremely prolific, and it is estimated that he produced 50,000 works during his lifetime. This includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, rugs, tapestries and thousands of prints or lithographs that were signed and numbered by the artist.Between 1945 and 1949, Picasso produced a truly impressive grouping of lithographs that number about 200 different images. These were produced in close cooperation with Henri Deschamps, a professional printmaker from Atelier Mourlot, the renowned art publisher and art workshop founded by Francois Mourlot in 1852. Picasso may have created the lithograph in today's question for a peace demonstration held in Stockholm, Sweden, from July 16 to July 22, 1958. It is called the "Bouquet of Peace," but there is some doubt whether Picasso actually created this piece. Although not listed in Georges Bloch's "Catalogue Raisonne" of Picasso's engravings or lithographs, it does appear in several other authoritative guides to Picasso's posters. This is important because there are some who believe the attribution of this image to Picasso - despite the signatures and so forth - is dubious at best.One of the most reproduced of all Picasso images, it is available today for just a few dollars at mass merchandisers, and we see inexpensive versions that look quite genuine on first glance in homes all the time.The fact that this piece is signed in the plate underneath the floral bouquet means little. All the fakes have this, too. S.D.'s indication that this print is signed twice is hopeful, but fakers have also turned out spurious pieces with Picasso's second signature and notations of limited-edition status.We feel there's a possibility that this piece is bogus, and if we are correct, the value is less than $200 (perhaps much less). If genuine, the value would probably be in the $2,500 to $3,000 range. S.D. needs to have a professional appraiser evaluate this print.bull;Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927 or via e-mail at treasures@knology.net.