The collector wants to give up a picture in court
collector wants to give up a picture in court
26.12.2011 17:41
The collector Andrey Vasilyev, who became the owner of a fake painting Grigoriev "restaurant", sued the seller to terminate the transaction. The third parties named in the lawsuit the Russian Museum and the former art critic Elena Basner. Vasiliev asked the court to return all full circle: the seller - picture it - money. Meanwhile, a criminal investigation into fraud with a piece of art has not yet been filed.
Preliminary hearing on the suit Andrei Vasilyev to Leonid Shumakov who sold him a painting claimed as an artist painting by Boris Grigoriev "restaurant", but was a forgery, as well as a former art critic of the Russian Museum Elena Basner and myself went to the museum on December 26 Vasileostrovskiy district court. The defendant not only Shumakov did not come to court, but not even sent a representative. Therefore, his attitude to the claim while not reflected. Basner, who does not deny his involvement in the deal, said in court that he passed Shumakov to sell the real thing. The representative of the Russian Museum is not distinguished himself in any way. Collector Vasiliev at the meeting confirmed his claim.
He recalled that the owner of the disputed paintings he began in July 2009, when his friend Shumakov knowing Vassiliev interest to the works of Russian art of the early twentieth century, offered to buy Boris Grigoriev "restaurant." According to the seller, the thing came from some old Leningrad meeting, which, in turn, came from the collection of AE Burtseva. For photos blade attached scanned pages from the catalog collection Burtsev, published in 1914, with this picture, which served as a collector for one hundred percent guarantee of authenticity. Moreover, the painting was signed by Boris Grigoriev, and was not present after 1914.
Vasiliev has acquired the painting for 250 thousand U.S. dollars. And in 2010 he gave a picture of an exhibition in Moscow. The exhibition was devoted to the Russian artists who worked in Paris. The picture came to the exhibition catalog. There's also saw its staff of All-Russian scientific and artistic restoration center named after academician Igor Grabar. They contacted the organizers and said that even before the Vassiliev bought "restaurant", brought her from St. Petersburg to GRC for examination. The chemical study revealed phthalocyanine pigments, which came into use much later than his death. Thus it became clear that in the hands of a collector in St. Petersburg got a copy of an unknown artist.
In April 2011 the State Russian Museum has opened a large-scale exhibition by Boris Grigoriev and was issued a colorful directory where Vasiliev saw his painting as a painting that is in the Russian Museum. As it turned out, "In a restaurant" came to the museum with collection of the famous Leningrad collector BN Okunev in the early 1980s. Was described in 1986 in the exhibition catalog, compiled by staff of the museum Elena Basner, but the exhibition was not present. This fact has made it clear exhibition catalog collection Okunev, 1986. According to Andrei Vasilyev, until April 2011, this picture had never exhibited, anywhere in the color is not reproduced, and none but the museum staff could not see her.
When Vasiliev wrote a complaint against Shumakov, the latter told the collector that has a picture of Grigoriev "restaurant" from Elena Basner. She gave him permission to sell a painting without disclosing the name of the owner of the real picture. At a meeting with Vasiliev Basner did not deny his involvement in the promotion picture.
Now the picture is in the Russian Museum. There has already been done examination, which confirmed that Vassilyevskoe canvas - a forgery.
In June 2011, Vasiliev has applied to the Department of State Antique Interior Ministry, which passed in late July, the materials in SU AMIA Petrograd district to address the issue of criminal proceedings under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code (fraud on a large scale). In September, after the SU staff on several occasions tried to transfer the materials to make a decision in the other areas under various pretexts, the investigator refused SU Golyshev collector in a criminal case. The main reason for the refusal were two years that have elapsed since the date of purchase to the detection of counterfeits. "What happened in this time of the painting acquired by AA Vasiliev, during this period of time - do not know" - believes naked. Also, in his opinion, within the material is not worked out a version that replaced the picture of himself collector. This refusal seemed not only paradoxical Andrei Vasilyev (who received a ruling just two months after its adoption), but the prosecutor's office, which it repealed.
While the police investigation re trying to understand the conflicts of history, Vassiliev decided in a civil suit to get some answers to your questions. The court appointed a review on the merits of the claim at the end of January.
Tatiana Vostroilova
fontanka.ru
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