Ok. Back in 1987, a fisherman, Tony Varney, found some art left lying around near the gate of a rubbish tip in the south of Ireland. Even though one of the pieces was signed Winslow Homer, Tony didn't know what he had. He didn't bother to research it at all and gave the painting to his daughter Selina who gave house room to other things her dotty old dad collected.
The small watercolour was of three white children wearing ethnic costume. Somehow in 2008, Tony and Selina got their wits together and took it to The Antiques Roadshow where it was confirmed by expert Philip Mould to be a work by Winslow Homer, one of America's most important 19th century artists and valued it at £30,000.
Philip Mould, art aficionado extraordinaire, cleverly knew that this painting would realize a higher price in US, where Winslow Homer is more highly esteemed. Mould had the painting packaged and sent off to Sotheby's in New York.
Phillip Mould's team of researchers went through the rest of the contents of Tony's cardboard portfolio. They found interesting things like a ticket to a costume ball at the Governor's Mansion in the Bahamas, a painting done by the Bahamian Governor's wife. They determined that Sir Henry Arthur Blake, the Governor of the Bahamas from 1884-1887, had his ancestral home in Ireland. Myrtle Grove, County Cork, was about three miles from the rubbish tip where Grandpa Tony found the painting.
Mould's lawyer was left to do due diligence and related to Mould, and the viewers, that the descendents who lived at Myrtle Grove were unaware of the painting and ignorant of the fact that they even owned it. They had never registered a burglary.
Philip Mould jetted off to the archives in the Bahamas where he found on microfilm newspaper details of the costume ball at the Governor's mansion. Who was in attendance? Mr. Homer. What were the children wearing? The same pseudo-Turkish costumes as in the painting. A later social notice said that Winslow Homer intended to paint the Blake children in their Turkish costumes. Eureka!
By this time, Sotheby's in New York had authenticated the watercolour and because of the provenance, had estimated that the picture would now reach at least $250,000 - about 5 times the original estimation.
So everyone back home in Coventry, England was very excited. The painting had been professionally cleaned and framed. It appeared in Sotheby's catalogue. Selina and her dad Tony went to New York for the sale. Twenty four hours before the sale, the Blake family in Ireland decided that "hey, that's our painting. We could use some of that lovely lolly to fix the roof of our ancestral home" (I'm paraphrasing).
Magnanimously, (I'm being sarcastic) they tell Selina she can go ahead and auction off the painting and she can keep 25% of the proceeds as a finder's fee OR auction it off and Sotheby's could hang onto the money until they could work out ownership later. Selina, rightly pissed off, said the sale should go on and ownership could be worked out later.
The next day, ten, ten minutes before her lot was going to come under the gavel, Blake's great-great grandson Simon Murray appeared in New York and said that Selina would have to take a 30% finders fee, but with out an agreement as to who owned the painting, he could not let the sale go on. Selina Varney rejected the revised offer and Sotheby's decided to withdraw the painting as they could not guarantee a good title to any potential buyer.
After this fracas at Sotheby's, the painting, now dubbed Children Under a Palm Tree, was placed on the Art Loss Register. Why, I don't know. Covering their behinds, methinks. They know where it is now - under lock and key in Sotheby's New York. The family believe it disappeared from Myrtle Grove after a series of robberies in the 1980s, although Philip Mould notes that there was no crime reported. According to Great Grandson Simon Murray, his family didn't know that the painting was stolen until it was put up for auction at Sotheby’s. Simon Murray conducted further research among his family's papers and found a letter which described in detail the circumstances under which the painting was produced. When the Fakes or Fortunes episode aired in June 2011 ownership was still the subject of a legal dispute.
"I think we would rather keep it," said Simon Murray, who, as a lawyer, is still representing his family's interests. "It is such a special picture. The colours are wonderful. It's a very significant part of my family's history and we really want it back." Riiight...
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| youghalonline.com |
The Varney's had the painting in their possession for two decades with no claim on its ownership and no report of any burglary on the part of the Blake/Murrays. I say that unless they can prove that Grandpa Tony stole the painting then tough titty. I say Finders Keepers.
18 comments:
wow........utterly brilliant tale........I agree!!
Ye gods what a story. Fascinating. It seems pretty obvious the Blakes wanted a piece of the action, and all the stuff about "part of our family's history" sounds a little unlikely. OTOH, although Grandpa Tony sounds like a nice old bloke, it doesn't really sound like he has a good title to the stolen item. It seems as if it could be stolen property, even if he didn't steal it. I am not a lawyer but I'd want to know why the painting wasn't reported lost when the house was burgled, surely something went and if the burglary wasn't reported, why not?
To the law, the personal details won't be important but I'd guess that this is one that could keep the lawyers nice and busy for ages.
Hullo C-Pup,
I saw the programme over here when it aired first back in Sept and felt much the same as you. The family suddenly realised that something they HAD owned but one of their forebears had decided to toss out as rubbish was worth a shed load of dosh that wasn't going to be coming anywhere near THEM - and that just couldn't be allowed to happen for goodness sake, especially as it had turned up in the hands of one of the grat unwashed. Ergo it would seem - it must have been stolen! {Even though they didn't know they owned it, or where it should have been, or why it wasn't locked away in a vault/hanging on the wall of the family pile.
I thought their antics and tactics were disgraceful and like you feel they should have been able to prove that it had been stolen and not deliberately discarded. THat they chose to make a grandstand play at the very last minute showed they calculated that the 'poor little working class girl' purporting to now own the thing would cave in under the pressure and they would swan off with the bulk of the lolly.
A disgrace.
Nice story.
I just love that there's someone named Mould.
I agree Finders Keepers! What a great story, I love this stuff. If you find out more, do tell.
Well, it would be nice if they could keep it...but if the law was finder's keepers, Jewish families would have nothing to go on when trying to reclaim their art works. Because many who ended up with the art did not steal it but bought it in good faith.
Good story. I missed this one.
I guess in Britain 'upper' and 'class' don't always go together.....
I agree: Finders Keeper. The painting was THROWN OUT in the rubbish. NO burglary was reported.
I'd say if nothing else, then split right down the middle. 50/50 sounds about right.
I just saw this program and I definitely think "finders keepers" should apply here. Selina and Tony have had this painting among others for years. They took them on good faith to the Roadshow to see if they were worth anything. They were and were sent to Sothebys who did their due diligence (though they probably could have done some more) but they did what was necessary. They talked to a family member who then talked to more Blake family members and no one knew anything and she called Sothebys back and said they knew nothing about it. So that was that. But when 'ol Simon Murray heard about it and what it might be worth (and being an attorney) man he had to jump on the bandwagon. No one on the Blake side was interested until big $$$$$ was mentioned in the paper. First Murray wants the money and to fix up the old homestead, but then he comes back with no maybe they'll keep it since its an old family portrait. Oh sure he'll keep it ... all the way to the bank. I'm sorry but he's greedy, they weren't interested in this even when they thought "their relative" painted it. Someone in that family threw it out. They should have no claim to it now. It should go to Selina and Tony. Good Luck Selina.
Just saw this program on the TV. Totally fascinating. Who to believe? Not that Simon Murray I can tell you> When he made that comment about Selina probably already having spent the money on a swimming pool etc. Ye Gods. Isn't that just typical of some toffee nosed barrister. Why did he have to tell us he was a criminal barrister and was now....... Finder's Keepers indeed.
I can not believe the audacity of some people! For the Blake family to come forward to "claim" a paining they didn't even know existed is so petty. I think the truth lies in what the grandson said when he mentioned the need for money to upkeep the family home. That's the bottom line. The painting needs to be sold and a fifty/fifty split would be fair.
Saw the BBC program tonight. Fascinating stuff! Murray seems to be a right proper twit, but he argues a good claim for ownership. You would do the same if you were in his position. I believe strongly that his family owned the painting, but were poor custodians and somehow lost track of it. However, Selina and Tony should be offered 50% for saving the artwork from oblivion.
Case settled...where's my fee?
MICHELLE IN oz
Just saw a re-run of the show, i really feel for the young woman who has been dragged through the mud. It is so obvious the "Family"especially the representative, think they are "SPECIAL"
I agree with most of the above comments, but must add one thing MR Blake is looking at Easy money, and knows he made among many mistakes by whining about the upkeep of the family home. Thus the "we will keep it- family History"comment.
If he is in such a lucrative proffession he should help with the up keep.Also the family cant be doing to badly, mummy was away for what must have been months leading up to the Auction, and planning another trip to the Flower Show, most Working people cant afford to flit here there and everywhere. They have acted quite SHABBERLY Bugger the 50/50 give Selina and Tony the lot, just because of the others "Bad Manners"
Michelle in OZ
I had fun choosing this particular painting online that now hangs in my downtown office,
from Wahooart.co, who sells canvas prints of art masterpieces. While the original is treasured in some
art museum in England, my print http://EN.WahooArt.com/A55A04/w.nsf/Opra/BRUE-8LHS4U, of this painting by Edward
Burne-Jones is very much appreciated by my staff and clients. The print quality is really excellent.
I just watched it, and it makes my blood boil! They never would have cared about getting the painting back if it were worthless! 50/50 At the MOST for the Blake family!
finders keepers
The well spoken gent is a creep and low life.
Cheers, A Canadian
I just finished Phillip Mould's The Art Detective and was wondering if there was any resolution to the Winslow Homer controversy. Do you know if this has been resolved? I can't find anything recent on the internet.
I hope the legal version of Finder Keepers Losers Weepers plays/played out. The Varneys deserve the money more than Simon Murray and his family.
I just saw this program and I definitely think "finders keepers" should apply here.
Glyn Willmoth
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