Rockefeller family reclaims Picasso's Guernica tapestry from UN after 37 years

The Rockefeller family has reclaimed the iconic tapestry of Picasso's Guernica from the United Nations headquarters in New York after 37 years on loan. The tapestry, woven by French atelier Jacqueline de La Baume-Dürrbach from a cartoon created by Picasso in 1955, had hung outside the Security Council chamber since 1984. Nelson A. Rockefeller Jr., son of the late diplomat and philanthropist Nelson A. Rockefeller, notified the UN of his intention to retrieve the work, and it was returned in early February 2021. The decision was confirmed by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during a noon briefing on February 26, 2021. The tapestry gained notoriety in 2003 when it was covered during a press conference where Colin Powell announced the invasion of Iraq. Dujarric stated that Secretary-General António Guterres will review options for a replacement artwork, to be selected by the UN Arts Committee. The original oil painting by Picasso, created in 1937 after the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, is permanently housed at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.