Monthly archive
30 headlines
Source-linked reporting
news.artnet.com
The article reports that a Manhattan judge ruled Mount Sinai Beth Israel could retain donations including an Édouard Manet painting donated by heiress Huguette Clark. The painting, Pivoines dans une bouteille, later sold for $3.5 million at Christie’s New York. The court found the estate’s claims time-barred, while allowing separate claims against two doctors and a nurse.
news.artnet.com
Gailord Bovrisse, a French art dealer, and his New York entity Golden Trade Fine Art were ordered to pay $800,000 in a judgment won by Opera Gallery and Najell Investments over two fake Marc Chagall paintings. The July 28 ruling in the Central District of California also found breach of contract; plaintiffs sought about $2.4 million plus lawyers’ fees. The case notes that Bovrisse admitted lacking sufficient evidence of authenticity and failing to conduct due diligence.
bostonglobe.com
The article discusses Edward C. 'Ned' Johnson III, chairman of Fidelity Investments, quietly building a valuable art collection in New England and often donating or lending works to museums; it highlights a specific piece, Benjamin West’s “Devout Men Taking the Body of Saint Stephen,” acquired for $2.85 million and donated to the MFA. It also notes the Brookfield Arts Foundation, Johnson’s philanthropic arm, and its growing assets and art acquisitions.
auctionpublicity.com
The Warhol portrait of Coco Chanel sold for $247,000 at an on-site auction of Lauri Mundi contents in Aberdeen, Mississippi, conducted by Stevens Auction Co. The piece measured 15 by 17.5 inches and bore the original Warhol estate stamp to a gallery label on the back.
artnews.com
Elaine Wynn discusses her purchase of a Francis Bacon triptych of Lucian Freud for $142.5 million at a Christie’s auction in fall 2013. She recalls her initial reaction and notes her secrecy about the purchase, as well as her plans to possibly donate the painting to LACMA.
news.artnet.com
Elaine Wynn, known for her $142 million Francis Bacon triptych purchase at Christie’s, reportedly divided her personal art collection with ex-husband Stephen Wynn after their 2010 divorce. The artworks Wynn retained included a 1880 Édouard Manet pastel of Suzette Lemaire, an abstract painting by Joan Mitchell, and a textile work by Jim Hodges.
artforum.com
Sigmar Polke estate loses case against collector. The High Regional Court of Cologne ordered the return of a Polke painting, known as Propellerfrau, to a Cologne-based collector who had purchased the work in 2007 for about $111,455.
abc.net.au
The painting Head of a Young Woman by Pablo Picasso, valued at about $37-39.6 million, was seized by French customs off Corsica and transferred to the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid. The work is owned by Jaime Botín and had been declared unexportable by Spanish authorities due to its cultural significance.
irishexaminer.com
The Ames Stradivarius, made in 1734 by Antonio Stradivari, was stolen from Totenberg decades earlier. It was found in June after a woman brought it to New York for appraisal and FBI custody was involved; Nina Totenberg confirmed the instrument’s recovery.
abc.net.au
A priceless Stradivarius violin, made in 1734 and stolen in 1980 from Roman Totenberg, was recovered after about 35 years. The instrument was located in the home of the widow of musician Phillip Johnson and reported to the FBI before being returned to the Totenberg family.
latimes.com
The Los Angeles Times reports on the return of the Stradivarius owned by Roman Totenberg to his daughters Nina, Jill, and Amy Totenberg after being stolen in 1980. FBI art crime unit agent Christopher McKeogh facilitated the return at a Manhattan event, with the violin previously suspected to be stolen by violinist Philip Johnson, whose ex-girlfriend raised suspicions but evidence was lacking.
fbi.gov
The FBI returned a rare Stradivarius violin made in 1734 to the heirs of deceased violinist Roman Totenberg after it was stolen in 1980. The instrument was recovered by the FBI’s Art Crime Team and surfaced at a Manhattan hotel before being returned to the Totenberg family. Two bows stolen with the violin remain missing.
mainepublic.org
NPR reports, by Nina Totenberg, about the recovery of Roman Totenberg's stolen Stradivarius violin after 35 years. The piece discusses the violin's disappearance from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge and its eventual recovery announced at the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan.
theguardian.com
The Guardian article reports that a Stradivarius violin stolen in 1980 from Roman Totenberg, NPR reporter Nina Totenberg’s father, has been recovered and returned to his daughters Nina, Jill and Amy. The piece notes Totenberg’s career and that the violin was snatched after a concert in Cambridge, Massachusetts in May 1980; it also mentions the family receiving the instrument back in a ceremony in New York.
newsweek.com
Newsweek reports that the Ames Stradivarius violin, once owned by Roman Totenberg, was returned to his family after 35 years following a tip to the FBI. The instrument, made by Antonio Stradivari in 1734, was recovered after being discovered in an ex-wife's house; U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara commented on the joyful ending of the case.
kmuw.org
Nina Totenberg reports that the famous Stradivarius once owned by Roman Totenberg was stolen in 1980 and recovered in June after 35 years. The article covers the instrument’s disappearance and subsequent recovery by the FBI.
cbsnews.com
The Ames Stradivarius, a 1734 Stradivari violin owned by Roman Totenberg, stolen in 1980, was recovered after 35 years; the instrument surfaced in June and was in federal custody, with Nina Totenberg confirming the news in an Associated Press interview.
thestate.com
The State reports that the Ames Stradivarius, a 1734 Stradivari instrument once owned by Roman Totenberg, was recovered after 35 years. The instrument’s recovery followed a June lead when the woman who owned it had it appraised in New York and authorities were alerted.
ijpr.org
NPR reports by Nina Totenberg about the recovery of Roman Totenberg's stolen Stradivarius violin, which had disappeared from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge and was recovered after more than three decades. The article includes the Totenberg family's account and notes the instrument's prior owner, Roman Totenberg, who died in 2012.
washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post reports that a 281-year-old Stradivarius violin stolen in 1980 from musician and teacher Roman Totenberg has been recovered, according to NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg.
eu.usatoday.com
The Ames Stradivarius, a Stradivarius violin made in 1734 by Antonio Stradivari, was recovered after 35 years. The instrument was previously in the possession of Roman Totenberg and was recovered in June with the involvement of Nina Totenberg and an FBI investigation.
kuer.org
NPR reporter Nina Totenberg writes about the recovery of Roman Totenberg's stolen Stradivarius violin, which had been missing for 35 years and was recovered after an FBI investigation. The story includes personal reflections from the Totenberg family.
www-s1.npr.org
NPR reports that a Stradivarius violin stolen 35 years ago, owned by the late violinist Roman Totenberg, has been recovered. Nina Totenberg, NPR correspondent, explains the background and reunion with the instrument.
abcnews.com
The article reports that a centuries-old Ames Stradivarius violin, crafted in 1734 and owned by the late violinist Roman Totenberg, was stolen in May 1980 and recovered by the FBI 35 years later, returning to Totenberg's three daughters in New York. The violin is valued around $200,000 and was associated with luthier Antonio Stradivari; it had been last seen at Totenberg's office.
theviolinchannel.com
The 1723 Ames Stradivarius violin owned by violinist Roman Totenberg, stolen in 1980, was recovered. The instrument was identified in Pittsburgh and returned to Totenberg’s daughters with plans for restoration at Rare Violins of New York.
artnews.com
Pablo Picasso Head of a Young Woman (1906) was seized in Corsica. The painting, valued at $27.4 million, allegedly left Spain illegally and was en route to Switzerland; it is reported to be owned by Spanish banker Jaime Botín.
cnn.com
Pablo Picasso's painting Head of a Young Woman, valued at about 25 million euros (roughly $27 million), was seized by French customs on a yacht in Corsica. The work is owned by Spanish banker Jaime Botin and was allegedly being shipped illegally to Switzerland; authorities noted it was declared a cultural asset and should not have left Spain.
telegraph.co.uk
The painting Head of a Young Woman by Pablo Picasso, valued at more than €25 million, was seized from a British-registered yacht off Calvi, Corsica, amid an attempt to export it to Switzerland. The work belongs to Spanish billionaire Jaime Botin and was later linked to a dispute over its legality and ownership.
20minutos.es
La obra incautada es Cabeza de mujer joven, de Picasso, perteneciente a Jaime Botín. La Aduana francesa interceptó el cuadro en Córcega, con valor de más de 25 millones de euros, cuyo destino era Suiza; estaba declarado como no exportable por España.
apollo-magazine.com
Acquisitions of the Month: July 2015 discusses notable new additions to public collections in July, including Giovanni da Rimini works at the National Gallery, London, and MoMA’s acquisition Untitled (Havana 2000) by Tania Bruguera, among others.