Finding a long lost treasure is headline material. Should the trove be a multi-million dollar painting by a master, it generates additional press coverage and ratings. A version of Judith Beheading Holofernes discovered in a Toulouse attic is being attributed to Caravaggio. il mistero del Caravaggio ritrovato in soffitta (La Repubblica) click Caravaggio Masterpice (ArtInfo) click “Lost Caravaggio Causes […]
A Nazi-looted Modigliani was seized from the Geneva Freeport in the collection of Edmond Safra’s cousin David Nahmad. That heaven of anonymity was also the site of the “Bouvier affair,” an art world scandal involving an art handler turned dealer, a Russian oligarch, secret bank accounts, and even a Leonardo. Yves Bouvier, “the king of the freeports,” […]
Le Monde and Conaissance des arts tell the story of a Modigliani sold by Christie’s and purchased by a marchand and collector cousin of Edmond Safra. The Nazis stole the work from Jewish art dealer Oscar Stettiner. The Nahmad family, alleged owners, represented to US authorities that the painting was part of the assets of IAC, an […]
No major quest for transparency or accountability will come about as result of the Panama Papers. The financial world system protects a power structure immune from investigation and legal repercussions.
