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Judge Orders Prado to Hold Disputed Velázquez Painting in Divorce Case

A Spanish judge has ordered the Museo del Prado in Madrid to take custody of a painting attributed to Diego Velázquez, which is at the center of a divorce dispute between steel magnate José María Aristrain and his ex-wife Gema Navarro. The work, a portrait of Philip IV linked to Velázquez’s early years in Madrid, was removed from Aristrain’s residence on March 17 and transferred to the Prado’s storage after Navarro filed a complaint alleging it had been wrongly withheld from her. The Ministry of Culture, acting with court and prosecutorial support, designated the museum as custodian until ownership is resolved. The painting had previously surfaced at auction, failing to sell in 2007 amid attribution doubts, before being acquired by Navarro in 2015 for €878,000.

The Founders of Open Restitution Africa (ORA) on Their New Open Data Platform

On March 31, the research initiative Open Restitution Africa (ORA) launched the ORA Open Data Platform, a database providing information on the restitution of African artifacts and ancestral remains. Developed over six years by ORA’s all-woman, pan-African team, the site uses case histories and AI-powered tools to offer practical insights into the return process, available in French and English. It presents 25 case histories spanning 200 years, using data visualizations, essays, and interactive tools to help individuals and communities develop their own restitution strategies. ARTnews interviewed founders Chao Tayiana Maina and Molemo Moiloa about the project's origins and goals.

Authorities in New York return more than 650 looted antiquities, valued at nearly $14m, to India

The Manhattan District Attorney's office, led by Alvin Bragg, returned 657 looted antiquities valued at nearly $14 million to Indian authorities in late March 2025. The pieces, recovered through investigations into criminal trafficking networks, include a $2 million bronze Avalokiteshvara stolen from a museum in Raipur, a $7.5 million red sandstone Buddha smuggled by convicted trafficker Subhash Kapoor, and a sandstone dancing Ganesha looted from a Madhya Pradesh temple that passed through dealer Doris Wiener and was sold at Christie's in 2012.