Jewish Heirs Challenge $180 Million Van Gogh Sale at Sotheby's

The heirs of Jewish former owner Samuel Fischer have asked Sotheby's to withdraw Vincent van Gogh's 1890 painting "Châtaigniers en Fleurs (Blossoming Chestnut Trees)" from its Manhattan auction, arguing the work was sold under duress in 1936 as a consequence of persecution by the Nazis. The painting carries an estimate of $180 million, the highest for any lot at this season's art auctions, and is backed by a financial guarantee from Sotheby's.

The Heirs' Claim

The heirs, who live in the United States, are represented by Berlin lawyer Gunnar Schnabel. In a Nov. 12 email to Marco Toracca, the head of Sotheby's restitution department, Schnabel urged Sotheby's to prove beyond a doubt that the painting was sold at market value in 1936 and that the family "would have wanted to carry out the sale even without Nazi rule." Schnabel wrote that his client "is prepared to work toward a fair and just solution in the spirit of the 1998 Washington Principles," international guidelines designed to help institutions and governments handling confiscated or Nazi-looted art.

According to the sources, Samuel Fischer acquired the painting in 1909 from a Paris gallery. He founded S. Fischer Verlag, a German publishing company whose authors included Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse and Alfred Döblin. After Fischer's death in 1934, his son-in-law Gottfried Bermann Fischer took over the company. With the Nazis' rise to power, many of the company's authors faced publishing bans, and Bermann Fischer left Berlin for Vienna.

The family deposited the painting and two works by Cézanne with the dealer Walter Feilchenfeldt at the Amsterdam gallery Paul Cassirer in either 1932 or 1933, according to Sotheby's. In 1936, Feilchenfeldt sold the painting to a Parisian collector. The heirs argue the sale took place three months after the family had left Berlin for Vienna, and that the family was forced to pay the "Reich flight tax" imposed on those who emigrated.

Sotheby's Response

Sotheby's said in a statement that it had undertaken extensive research into the ownership history of the painting but did not say whether the lot would be auctioned on Wednesday night, as scheduled. The auction house said:

"We are aware of the concerns recently raised by representatives of the Fischer heirs and have been in dialogue with them regarding the painting's history," the auction house said. "While our research to date has not established that the painting was sold under duress, we recognize the importance of engaging thoughtfully and constructively with the family and are committed to working toward a mutually satisfactory resolution."

The painting is part of the Blaquier-Arrieta collection, assembled by Carlos Pedro Blaquier and Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier of Buenos Aires. Twelve Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings from the collection are on offer in next week's auction, together expected to raise around $450 million. "Blossoming Chestnut Trees" is featured on the cover of the Sotheby's catalog.

Why it matters

The dispute highlights evolving standards in Nazi-era art restitution. Claims for art sold under duress outside Nazi-ruled territories by Jewish collectors who suffered persecution have increasingly resulted in settlements in recent years. The Fischer family had previously raised similar concerns over a Cézanne portrait sold in 1936; in 2007, Gisela Bermann Fischer reserved the family's right to pursue claims over other paintings her father sold under duress. If the van Gogh is withdrawn, it would cast a shadow over the week's auctions in Manhattan.

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Sources

• nytimes.com: Jewish Heirs Challenge Sale of $180 Million van Gogh Painting at Sotheby’s - The New York Times
• timesofisrael.com: Jewish heirs seek to halt $180 million Van Gogh auction over alleged Nazi-era forced sale | The Times of Israel
• newscord.org: Jewish Heirs Seek Sotheby’s Withdrawal of $180 Million Van Gogh Over Nazi-Era Duress Claim: 9 outlets compared | NewsCord
• artdependence.com: ArtDependence | Heirs of Jewish Publisher Urge Sotheby’s to Withdraw $180M Van Gogh Painting
• demokratis.co.id: Jewish Heirs Challenge Sothebys Sale of 180 Million Van Gogh
• theinsightinternational.com: Sotheby's faces challenge over $180 million Van Gogh as heirs say it was sold under Nazi-era duress - The Insight International

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.