DIA Van Gogh exhibit nearly sold out as guard watches over alleged stolen painting

[marmar]

(Detroit Free Press) The most talked-about painting in America this week now has its own security guard standing beside it as it hangs on a wall at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA).

Vincent Van Gogh’s “Une Liseuse de Romans,” also known as “The Novel Reader,” made headlines around the world this week when a lawsuit was filed Tuesday, Jan. 10 in Detroit federal court alleging that the painting was stolen from its rightful owner before landing at the DIA for its “Van Gogh in America” show.

Brazilian art collector Gustavo Soter claims to have purchased the piece in 2017 for $3.7 million, and estimates its value at over $5 million now. In the lawsuit, Soter claims a “third party” absconded with the piece, leaving Soter in search of it for more than five years while he held the title.

....(snip)....

The DIA’s “Van Gogh in America” exhibition has proven a huge success since opening on Oct. 2, clocking more than 170,000 visitors to date. By Friday evening, remaining slots through the Jan. 22 closing date were almost completely sold out.

Museum officials said Friday they expect another 10,000 visitors over the weekend. ..................(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/arts/2023/01/13/van-gogh-exhibit-in-detroit-nearly-sold/69807289007/

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. The lawsuit seems fishy: who would steal a $5 million painting, ...

... and then lend it to an art museum in the U.S.?

The painting's assigned guard was very friendly, simply wanted people to stand behind the tape on the floor and to make sure the flash on their camera is off. Standing with your toes at the tape, your nose was still within two feet of the painting, close enough to see the brush strokes.

The same tape-distance rule and no-flash rule applied to all the paintings and drawings in the exhibit, nothing extraordinary for The Novel Reader.

[llmart]

2. I saw this exhibit.

It was amazing to see the paintings that close up. I learned a lot about Van Gogh. Can't believe most of his work was done in a rather short span of time.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. Yeah, something like 900 works of art in ten years.

He was driven.