Wow. The sale of one of the paintings I wrote about in the NYT the other day, a blue-period Picasso portrait being sold by Andrew Lloyd Webber,was recently ordered stopped by a Manhattan court. An heir to Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, who was forced to sell the painting in 1934, filed the suit.
Update: Thanks, Google News. Actually, according to the NYT's report, the judge refused to block the sale. The Times also mentions the absence of any efforts by the heirs over the last 70 years to pursue a restitution claim, which is why I was surprised in the first place. Go about your business, nothing to see here.
Update update: Or maybe the sale won't be blocked, just withdrawn. The Art Newspaper's reporting that Christie's may hold off on the sale tonight. Good thing that painting's on one of them Lazy Susan deals.
Picasso Sale Blocked Over Nazi Claims [playfuls.com]
Or Not: Judge Refuses to Halt Auction of a Picasso [nyt]
Christie’s may withdraw Lloyd Webber’s Blue Period Picasso from sale [theartnewspaper.com, thanks marc]
