Days before a Louise Nevelson sculpture was to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in May 2022, Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher declared the work inauthentic, claiming it was assembled by the artist’s son, Mike, rather than by Nevelson herself. The consigner, the estate of collector Hardie Beloff, has now sued Pace Gallery in US District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania, alleging that Glimcher deliberately sabotaged the sale to protect Pace’s control over Nevelson’s market. The lawsuit centers on Glimcher’s call to Sotheby’s, where he warned the work would not be included in a forthcoming catalogue raisonné, and on a 1993 appraisal in which he had valued the same sculpture at $85,000 without questioning its authenticity.
This case matters because it highlights the immense power that primary dealers and estate representatives hold over an artist’s market, especially when a catalogue raisonné is used as a gatekeeping tool. The lawsuit raises questions about conflicts of interest, the reliability of authentication processes, and how market control can affect the value and legacy of a deceased artist’s work. The legal fight also unfolds as Nevelson’s legacy is being actively celebrated, with Pace having mounted a solo exhibition of her work earlier this year, adding further tension between commercial interests and scholarly integrity.