The heirs of the Bic family have initiated legal proceedings aimed at reclaiming a valuable painting by Fra Angelico, which was sold at Christie's for $5.4 million in 2018. They allege that the sale was facilitated by a chauffeur who unlawfully took the artwork from the family, subsequently selling it to a prominent art dealer who consigned it to the auction house.
Interestingly, there is no public record of the painting on Christie's website, suggesting it may have been sold privately. The lawsuit targets the executors of the estate of Richard L. Feigen, the dealer who purportedly consigned the painting before his passing, along with Chilean billionaire Álvaro Saieh and his wife Ana Guzman, who are accused of purchasing the artwork at Christie's.
Filed on March 19 in New York's Supreme Court, the lawsuit claims that the painting, titled Saint Sixtus (ca. 1453-55), was acquired by Baron Marcel Bich, the founder of Bic, in 1972. Following his death, the piece passed to his son Bruno, who displayed it in his New York residence.
The lawsuit alleges that the family's chauffeur, Roy Morrow, "stole" the painting, with the claim stating that Bruno was unaware of its theft and only recognized its absence. For years, he questioned his wife about its whereabouts, but received vague and inconsistent responses. Bruno never learned the specifics of Morrow's actions before his death.
According to the suit, Feigen, a renowned dealer of Old Masters, agreed to sell the painting, but Morrow allegedly failed to provide adequate documentation. The suit describes Feigen as being "willfully blinded by dollar signs," suggesting he sold the artwork for a mere $3 million, a price they describe as a "fire-sale price."
The Bic heirs assert they only discovered the painting's ownership by Saieh and Guzman in 2023, although the lawsuit does not clarify how this realization occurred. It refers to a 2024 investigation into the painting's whereabouts, the details of which remain unspecified.
The New York Police Department has indicated that there was no report of the painting being stolen. The heirs demanded the return of the artwork from Saieh and Guzman in 2024, but their request was denied, leading the heirs to claim that the defendants are wrongfully asserting control over the painting.
Saieh, who reportedly owns over 100 works from the 13th to 16th centuries, stated through his legal representative that they acquired the artwork from Christie's in 2018 and will take necessary steps to defend their rights.
This legal confrontation not only highlights the complexities of art ownership and provenance but also underscores the ongoing importance of ethical practices in the art market. As this case unfolds, it may set a significant precedent for future disputes over art ownership and recovery.