A New York court has summoned art dealers Count Edmondo di Robilant and Marco Voena to answer a civil complaint filed by former employee and curator Virginia Brilliant. The lawsuit, filed in New York, alleges repeated verbal harassment, misogynistic, antisemitic, racist, and homophobic comments, and other inappropriate behavior at their gallery Robilant and Voena, which has locations in New York, London, Milan, Paris, and St. Moritz. Brilliant, who holds a Ph.D. from the Courtauld Institute of Art, began working as an independent contractor in 2019. She claims the dealers created a toxic workplace, failed to pay promised medical expenses during her chemotherapy for breast cancer, and owes her commissions, back pay, and damages totaling at least $3.13 million. Robilant was served papers at the TEFAF New York art fair on May 13.
This case matters because it highlights ongoing issues of workplace harassment and discrimination in the high-end art market, particularly involving prominent Old Master dealers. The allegations—including sexist, antisemitic, racist, and homophobic slurs, as well as claims of financial exploitation of a seriously ill employee—could damage the reputations of Robilant and Voena, who trade in European Old Masters and 20th-century art. The lawsuit also raises questions about accountability and power dynamics in elite art galleries, and may prompt broader industry scrutiny of workplace culture and legal protections for employees.