Centre du droit de l'art
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr
View of the Asylum and Chapel at St. Rémy – Mauthner Heirs v. Elizabeth Taylor
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/case-view-of-the-asylum-and-chapel-at-st-remy-2013-mauthner-heirs-v-elizabeth-taylor
In 2007, the court battle over the van Gogh painting “View of the Asylum and Chapel at St. Rémy” came to an end when the United States Supreme Court denied a writ of certiorari, thereby finalising the decision of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Pasadina.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireRequest denied/rejet de la demandeArtwork/oeuvre d’artDue diligenceJudicial claim/action en justiceElizabeth TaylorProcedural issue/limites procéduralesStatute of limitation/prescriptionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéMargarethe Mauthner2013/02/05 18:30:00 GMT+1PageView of Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer – Mauthner Heirs v. Switzerland
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/case-view-of-les-saintes-maries-de-la-mer-2013-mauthner-heir-v-switzerland
Andrew Orkin sued the Swiss Confederation, the Oskar Reinhart Foundation and the Oskar Reinhart Collection in the United States in order to recover possession of the drawing “View of Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer”. Orkin alleged that his great-grandmother, Margarethe Mauthner, sold the painting under duress during the Nazi era.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireRequest denied/rejet de la demandeMargarethe MauthnerState immunity/immunité des EtatsSwitzerland/SuisseOskar Reinhart CollectionOskar Reinhart FoundationJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesJurisdiction/conflit de jurisdictionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéArtwork/oeuvre d’art2013/02/06 16:15:00 GMT+1PageVictorious Youth – Italy v. J. Paul Getty Museum
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/victorious-youth-2013-italy-v-j-paul-getty-museum
The “Victorious Youth” – a life-size bronze statue created sometime between the 4th and 2nd century BC – is at the centre of an ongoing dispute between Italy and the J. Paul Getty Museum. This statue was discovered in 1964, caught up in the nets of a fishing boat working out of the port of Fano on the Adriatic coast of Italy.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireOngoing dispute/litige en coursItaly/ItalieJ. Paul Getty MuseumEnforcement of foreign law/applicabilité du droit public étrangerDue diligenceIllicit exportation/exportation illiciteArchaeological object/objet archéologiqueJudicial claim/action en justiceDiplomatic channel/voie diplomatiquePre 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution pre 1970Negotiation/négociationChoice of law/droit applicableProcedural issue/limites procéduralesIllicit importation/importation illiciteOwnership/propriété2013/04/02 15:55:00 GMT+1PageVenus of Cyrene – Italy and Libya
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/venus-of-cyrene-2013-italy-and-libya
In 1913, Italian soldiers deployed at Cyrene, Libya, found a headless marble sculpture, commonly known today as the “Venus of Cyrene”. In 1915, the statue was shipped to Italy, where it was placed on display in the Museo Nazionale delle Terme of Rome.No publisherDeaccessionJudicial decision/décision judiciaireState responsibility/responsabilité internationale des EtatsItaly/ItalieArchaeological object/objet archéologiqueJudicial claim/action en justiceColonialism/colonialismeUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionNegotiation/négociationLibya/LibyeSettlement agreement/accord transactionnelInalienability/inaliénabilité2013/02/20 17:10:00 GMT+1PageTwo Souza paintings – Kurtha v. Marks
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/two-souza-paintings-2013-kurtha-v-marks
In 1982, Dr Aziz Kurtha purchased two paintings from the Indian artist Francis Souza. They were stolen years later and their ownership changed a number of times, before Michael Marks purchased them on 10 January 2006. No publisherJudicial claim/action en justiceCriminal offence/infraction pénaleAd hoc facilitator/facilitateur ad hocArtwork/oeuvre d’artMichael MarksFrancis Newton SouzaAziz KurthaUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionPost 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution post 1970Judicial decision/décision judiciaireOwnership/propriété2015/10/08 02:15:00 GMT+1PageTwo Schiele Paintings – Grunbaum Heirs v. Richard Nagy
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/two-schiele-paintings-2013-grunbaum-heirs-v-richard-nagy
In 1938, the Nazis expropriated the art collection of Fritz Grunbaum while he was detained in Dachau concentration camp. In 2016, the Grunbaum heirs filed suit against Richard Nagy, the art dealer in possession of two of the paintings by Schiele that formed part of Fritz Grunbaum’s collection (“Woman in a Black Pinafore” and “Woman Hiding Her Face”). Eventually, the New York’s Supreme Court directed Nagy to return the artworks to the Grunbaum heirs.No publisherUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionJudicial decision/décision judiciaireRichard NagyArtwork/oeuvre d’artDue diligenceJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesFritz and Elizabeth GrunbaumStatute of limitation/prescriptionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriété2019/11/29 15:30:00 GMT+1PageTwo Dürer Paintings – Kunstsammlungen Zu Weimar v. Elicofon
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/2-durer-paintings-2013-kunstsammlungen-zu-weimar-v-elicofon
In 1945, two portraits by Albrecht Dürer were stolen from the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen zu Weimar. Stored for safekeeping in the Schwarburg Castle during the Second World War, the paintings disappeared during the time that American troops occupied the Castle. No publisherUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionJudicial decision/décision judiciaireCriminal offence/infraction pénaleGermany/AllemagneArtwork/oeuvre d’artEdward I. ElicofonDue diligenceJudicial claim/action en justiceGrand Duchess of Saxony-WeimarSpoils of war/butins de guerreProcedural issue/limites procéduralesChoice of law/droit applicableStatute of limitation/prescriptionOwnership/propriétéKunstsammlungen Zu Weimar2012/11/16 15:05:00 GMT+1PageTrente-sept tableaux spoliés par le régime nazi – Paul Rosenberg c. Théodore Fischer et consorts
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/trente-sept-tableaux-spolies-par-le-regime-nazi-2013-paul-rosenberg-c-theodore-fischer-et-consorts
En 1946, Paul Rosenberg, célèbre marchand d’art français et israélite, ouvre une action en restitution de trente-sept tableaux de maître dont il a été spolié en France, durant l’occupation allemande, par le régime nazi, et qui se sont retrouvés en Suisse à la fin de la guerre. L’action est portée devant la Chambre des actions en revendication de biens spoliés, chambre spéciale et extraordinaire du Tribunal fédéral (TF). En 1948, le TF admet le recours et condamne les défendeurs à restituer les tableaux litigieux à P. Rosenberg.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireArtwork/oeuvre d’artState responsibility/responsabilité internationale des EtatsExpropriationSwitzerland/SuisseGermany/AllemagneJudicial claim/action en justiceThéodore Fisher et consortsUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéPaul Rosenberg2022/01/25 16:55:00 GMT+1PageThree Grosz Paintings – Grosz Heirs v. Museum of Modern Art
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/three-grosz-paintings-2013-grosz-heirs-v-museum-of-modern-art
In April of 2009, after a decade-long search for artworks lost during Nazi persecution, George Grosz’s legal heirs brought action against the Museum of Modern Art, seeking declaration of title and replevin as to three of the artist’s paintings in the Museum’s possession, and requesting damages for their unlawful conversion. Holding that the action was time-barred by the statute of limitations, the District Court granted the museum’s motion to dismiss. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York affirmed the order on appeal, and the United States Supreme Court denied the Heirs’ writ of certiorari.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireGeorge GroszRequest denied/rejet de la demandeArtwork/oeuvre d’artJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesNegotiation/négociationUnited States/États-UnisStatute of limitation/prescriptionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéTort /acte illicite2013/08/30 08:50:00 GMT+1PageThe Night Café Painting – Morozov Heirs v. Yale University
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/the-night-cafe-painting-2013-morozov-heirs-v-yale-university
In 1908, Ivan Morozov, a Russian art collector, purchased Van Gogh’s painting “The Night Café”. The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution led to the nationalization of private property, and as such Morozov’s art collection was confiscated and subsequently sold. No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireIvan MorozovRequest denied/rejet de la demandeArtwork/oeuvre d’artExpropriationAct of StateDue diligenceJudicial claim/action en justiceYale UniversityPre 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution pre 1970Procedural issue/limites procéduralesOwnership/propriété2015/02/25 10:55:00 GMT+1PageThe Actor – Leffmann Heir v. Metropolitan Museum of Art
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/the-actor-2013-leffmann-heir-v-metropolitan-museum-of-art
Before the Second World War, Paul and Alice Leffmann, a couple of German Jews, fled Germany to Italy and then to Brazil. To be able to leave Europe, they sold the painting “The Actor” by Picasso to three art dealers for a fraction of its market value. In 1939, one of the dealers sold the painting to Thelma Foy. Several years later, Thelma Foy donated the painting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) of New York. In the 2010s, the great-grandniece of Paul and Alice Leffmanns sued the MET to retrieve the painting.No publisherRequest denied/rejet de la demandeOwnership/propriétéOngoing dispute/litige en coursMetropolitan Museum of ArtArtwork/oeuvre d’artJudicial claim/action en justicePaul and Alice LeffmannNazi looted art/spoliations naziesDue diligenceStatute of limitation/prescriptionProcedural issue/limites procéduralesJudicial decision/décision judiciaire2020/02/05 12:55:00 GMT+1PageSumpflegende – Héritiers Lissitzky-Küppers et Ville de Munich
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/sumpflegende-2013-heritiers-lissitzky-kuppers-et-ville-de-munich
Après 25 ans de litige juridique et de négociation, le sort de « Sumpflegende », un tableau de Paul Klee prêté à une galerie allemande en 1926 puis confisqué par les Nazis au titre d’art « dégénéré », est scellé. En juillet 2017, les héritiers de Sophie Lissitzky-Küppers, laquelle avait prêté le tableau, concluent un accord avec la Ville de Munich et une fondation privée. L’œuvre reste exposée dans un musée munichois et les héritiers Lissitzky-Küppers sont indemnisés.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireFondation Gabriele Münter et Johannes EichnerArtwork/oeuvre d’artSymbolic gesture/geste symboliqueDue diligenceMunichJudicial claim/action en justiceFinancial compensation/indemnisationNegotiation/négociationSophie Lissitzky-KüppersStatute of limitation/prescriptionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéSettlement agreement/accord transactionnel2018/01/08 10:35:00 GMT+1PageStèles historiques – Galerie d’art c. Italie
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/affaire-steles-historiques-2013-galerie-d2019art-c-italie
En 1980, des stèles historiques sont remises par la Suisse à l’Italie dans le cadre d’une procédure pénale ouverte en Italie. Une Galerie d’art suisse introduit une action en Suisse pour récupérer les stèles historiques. L’Italie se prévaut de son immunité de juridiction. No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireState immunity/immunité des EtatsItaly/ItalieEnforcement of foreign law/applicabilité du droit public étrangerArchaeological object/objet archéologiqueJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesPost 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution post 1970Request denied/rejet de la demande2013/04/02 15:45:00 GMT+1PageSix Klimt paintings – Maria Altmann and Austria
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/6-klimt-paintings-2013-maria-altmann-and-austria
Maria Altmann brought suit in the United States against the Republic of Austria and the Austrian National Gallery to recover six paintings by Gustav Klimt that the Nazis took during the Second World War from her Jewish relatives, Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer. Although the Supreme Court of the United States lifted Austria’s jurisdictional immunity, the disputants reached an agreement to end the litigation and submit the dispute to arbitration in Austria. The arbitration panel ruled that Austria was obliged to return five of the Klimt’s masterpieces to Maria Altmann.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireConciliationArtwork/oeuvre d’artState immunity/immunité des EtatsArbitral award/décision arbitraleInstitutional facilitator/facilitateur institutionnelArbitration/arbitrageJudicial claim/action en justiceMaria AltmannUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionAustria/AutricheNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéFerdinand and Adele Bloch-BauerAustrian National Gallery2012/11/13 15:55:00 GMT+1PageSevso Treasure – Lebanon et al. v. Marquess of Northampton
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/sevso-treasure-2013-lebanon-et-al-v-marquess-of-northampton
The Sevso Treasure was consigned at Sotheby’s by the Marquess of Northampton in 1989. Sotheby’s released a press statement which said that the treasure would not be sold until all claims against it had been dealt with. Hungary bought seven pieces of the treasure in 2014, and a further seven pieces in 2017.No publisherRequest denied/rejet de la demandeJudicial decision/décision judiciaireAntiquity/antiquitésOwnership/propriétéLebanon/LibanIllicit exportation/exportation illiciteJudicial claim/action en justiceRepurchase/rachatCroatia/CroatieSale/venteHungary/HongrieIllicit excavation/fouille illicitePost 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution post 1970Marquess of Northampton2018/12/13 12:30:00 GMT+1Page