Share

Sotheby's to proceed with sale of 'stolen' Russian painting

Moscow - The international auction house Sotheby's said on Sunday it would proceed with the auction in London next week of a painting by a famous Russian artist that the Russian authorities have said was stolen.

Russia's Interior Ministry said on Saturday that "Evening in Cairo" by Ivan Aivazovsky had been stolen in 1997 from a private collection in Moscow, and that the Russian branch of Interpol had asked British police to block the auction.

But Sotheby's said it had found no record of the painting in databases of stolen art, including one distributed by Russia's Culture Ministry.

Ivan Aivazovsky, who lived between 1817 and 1900, was a prominent Russian-Armenian artist of the Romantic school noted for his landscapes and seascapes.

The 1870 painting is listed as a lot on the website of Sotheby's, with an estimated value of $2m to $3m, as part of a collection of Russian pictures due to be sold in London on June 2.

Russian media reported that the painting was purchased in the 1940s by the Nosenko family, who were part of the Soviet ruling elite. The Sotheby's website lists the work's provenance as being in the collection of N.I. Dedov.

Sotheby's said on Sunday that the Nosenkos were the family who claimed the painting was stolen.

"Sotheby's offering of Aivazovsky's 'Evening in Cairo' on the 2 June 2015 will proceed with the agreement of both the Nosenko family and the consignor," the company said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.

"The family is happy to sell the painting via Sotheby's offering on June 2 and our consignor agrees this as well. The identity of the consignor remains confidential. They acquired the painting which is in our sale in good faith in 2000."

Reuters was unable to contact the Nosenko family. No one at the Russian Interior Ministry was available for comment on Sunday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.91
+0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.87
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.1%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders