Two Pablo Picasso paintings worth a total of $50 million euros (AU $84 million) have been stolen from the Paris home of the artist's grand-daughter.

Police say the works were taken during the night from Marina Ruiz Picasso's apartment in Paris' up-market seventh district but there was no sign of a forced entry.

One of the paintings was Maya a la poupee, or Maya with Doll, from 1938, which showed Picasso's daughter.

The other painting was Portrait de femme, Jacqueline, a portrait of his second wife, Jacqueline.

The investigation has been handed over to the Paris police's organised crime division.