Collector Charles C. Cahn, Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Sotheby’s in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, alleging the auction house refuses to resell a painting attributed to Amedeo Modigliani that he purchased in 2003 for $1.55 million. The work, titled *Portrait de Leopold Zborowski* (1917), was consigned under a 2016 agreement allowing Cahn to resell it within 15 years, but Cahn claims Sotheby’s raised authenticity concerns and failed to respond to his recent attempts to consign the piece. He is seeking $2.67 million in damages.
The lawsuit highlights ongoing issues of authenticity in the Modigliani market, which has been plagued by forgeries and legal disputes. It also underscores the tension between auction houses and collectors over provenance and contractual obligations, especially when high-value works are involved. The case could have broader implications for how auction houses handle disputed attributions and their responsibilities to consignors.