The legal dispute over the ownership of an El Greco painting is moving forward after the Romanian government claimed the work belongs to its national collection. Romania has secured a “long-term hold” on Saint Sebastian (circa 1610-14), ensuring the painting will remain at Christie’s New York until the recovery efforts are resolved by the proper legal authorities. The painting was pulled from a Christie’s auction after Romania claimed it had been unlawfully removed from the country in 1947.
Court filings have since revealed the owner to be Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Monaco-based Russian billionaire who bought the El Greco from Swiss dealer Yves Bouvier in 2010. The Romanian government states that Christie’s published provenance is misleading, as it fails to include Bouvier and instead claims that Rybolovlev bought the painting directly from the dealer Giraud Pissarro Ségalot. Christie’s had estimated the work to sell for $7m to $9m.
Romania secures Saint Sebastian painting
Central to the Romanian government’s case for the painting’s restitution is that it was unlawfully removed from the national collection in 1947 by King Michael I as he fled the country to escape Communist forces. From 1977 until 1997, Romanian government officials engaged in a legal battle to restitute the painting and dozens of others allegedly taken in 1947.
Christie’s provenance notes stated that ownership transferred to King Michael I in 1947, with the accord of the Romanian government. However, the Romanian Finance Ministry claims this determination of provenance is false and denies the contention that the painting was transferred from the Romanian state with its consent or accord. The Romanian deputy prime minister, Barna Tánczos, stated, “As it is missing from the national collection, the painting must be returned to Romania and reunited with the national collection at the National Museum of Art of Romania in Bucharest.
We will continue to take firm action to recover this masterpiece, which belongs to Romania’s heritage.”
The case highlights ongoing issues in art provenance and the legal complexities of reclaiming cultural property.
