Editing Pablo Picasso (section)

===The Basel vote===
[[File:Basel - 2017 - Kunstmuseum Basel - Altbau.jpg|thumb|The [[Kunstmuseum Basel]]]]
In the 1940s, a Swiss insurance company based in [[Basel]] had bought two paintings by Picasso to diversify its investments and serve as a guarantee for the insured risks. Following an air disaster in 1967, the company had to pay out heavy reimbursements. The company decided to part with the two paintings, which were deposited in the [[Kunstmuseum Basel]]. In 1968, a large number of Basel citizens called for a local referendum on the purchase of the Picassos by the [[Canton of Basel-Stadt]], which was successful, making it the first time in democratic history that the population of a city voted on the purchase of works of art for a public art museum.<ref>{{Cite web |title=50th Anniversary of the Picasso Gift |url=https://kunstmuseumbasel.ch/en/exhibitions/2018/picasso}}</ref> The paintings therefore remained in the museum in Basel. Informed of this, Picasso donated three paintings and a sketch to the city and its museum and was later made an honorary citizen by the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 October 2017 |title=The miracle of Picasso in Basel |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/art-and-democracy_a-picasso-miracle-in-basel/43572276}}</ref>