Sotheby’s Auction $180m Van Gogh Faces Nazi-Era Sale Claim
Sotheby's says it is working with the Fischer family to resolve a dispute over Van Gogh's Châtaigniers en Fleurs, estimated at $180m. Heirs' representatives say the painting may have been sold under duress during the rise of the Nazis. The auction house says its research has not established that.
Sotheby's said it is working to resolve a dispute over a Vincent van Gogh painting estimated at $180m (£136m) that is due to be auctioned in New York in the coming days. Representatives of the family that once owned the work say it may have been sold under duress.
The painting is Châtaigniers en Fleurs, which translates as Blossoming Chestnut Trees. It is being sold as part of a group of works called the Blaquier-Arrieta Collection.
The claim
Representatives acting for heirs of the Fischer family, earlier German owners of the work, say the sale may have taken place during the rise of the Nazis. Under that argument, the family did not part with the painting freely.
The heirs have instructed a lawyer who has written to Sotheby's, according to reports. He is said to have told the auction house the painting was sold in Amsterdam before World War Two because of financial losses the Fischer family's publishing company suffered under the Nazis.
What Sotheby's says
The auction house said its own research has not established that the sale was made under duress. It added that it will work with the family toward a solution.
"Sotheby's takes provenance and restitution matters extremely seriously and has undertaken extensive research into the ownership history of Châtaigniers en fleurs," the company said in a statement.
It said it was aware of the concerns raised by the heirs' representatives and had been in dialogue with them about the painting's history. "We recognize the importance of engaging thoughtfully and constructively with the family and are committed to working toward a mutually satisfactory resolution," the statement said.
Ownership history
Sotheby's website sets out the provenance, or recorded ownership history, of the oil painting. The company says it has researched the work changing hands since 1890.
According to that account, Samuel Fischer, a well-known German publisher, acquired the painting in 1909. It passed down in his family after his death in 1934.
Sotheby's says the work was deposited with Paul Cassirer in Amsterdam in 1932 or 1933. It then went to Henriette and Marcel Kapferer in Paris in 1936.
Four other owners have held it since, before it was put up for auction this year.
The lawyer for the Fischer heirs has been contacted for comment. Sotheby's has not said whether the sale will go ahead as scheduled.
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