Art News. Vasari Codex

romania secures hold on stolen el greco painting

Romania has secured a 'long-term hold' on El Greco's painting *Saint Sebastian* (1610–1614), which was pulled from a Christie’s New York Old Masters sale in February after the Romanian government claimed the work was unlawfully taken from its national collection. The painting, valued at $7–9 million, was consigned by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, who acquired it in 2010 from Swiss dealer Yves Bouvier. Romania has initiated litigation through Paris to recover the work, arguing it was illegally removed in 1947 by King Michael I as he fled the Communist takeover.

gavel restitution schedule Sep 11, 2025 visibility 14 link 2 artists

italian politicians protest return of altarpiece slovenia

A 16th-century altarpiece by Vittore Carpaccio, *Madonna and Child Enthroned with Six Saints* (1518), has been returned to the Slovenian town of Piran, where it was originally commissioned for the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. The painting was removed in 1940 and placed in Padua for safekeeping during World War II, remaining in the Basilica of Sant’Antonio for decades. Following pressure from Franciscan friars in Padua, the work was quietly transferred back to Piran on September 4, days before Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s state visit to Slovenia. Slovenian Culture Minister Asta Vrečko hailed the return as the result of long-standing efforts.

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