The court found for the filmmaker Steven Spielberg legal right to own a painting by Norman Rockwell's "Russian students" (Russian Schoolroom, 1967), reports The Los Angeles Times.
Rockwell's work in 1973 was stolen from a private gallery in Missouri. In 1988, Russian students "have surfaced at auction in New Orleans, where over 70,4 thousand dollars bought by the art-dealer Judy Cutler (Judy Goffman Cutler). Two years later, now over 200 thousand bought Spielberg.
In 2007, the assistant director accidentally discovered that the "students" are in the list of works of art sought by the FBI. After that, Spielberg immediately turned to the secret service. Story became public, and Jack Solomon (Jack Solomon), who owned the painting at the time of its theft, filed in court. Respondent acted Cutler, who, to bring the director of the process, he replaced the "Russian school" to another job Rockwell 1960. That, in turn, waived his right to a controversial picture.
In April 2010 the decision was taken on the case, according to which Spielberg had the legal right to work of Rockwell and he had no need to abandon it. The judge took into account the fact that in 1988, FBI agents saw put up for sale now, conducted an investigation and concluded that the question of its origin has been settled and the sale of "students" would be legitimate. The premises of Rockwell's wanted list was a simple mistake.
It was found that in 1988, Solomon saw the missing painting at auction, contacted the auction house and received compensation of 20 thousand dollars from the insurance company.
http://lenta.ru/news/2010/04/20/schoolroom/
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cult...ell-.html#more