Court rules stolen $200m Vincent van Gogh painting can stay at Yale

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

A federal appeals court has sided with Yale University in a dispute over the ownership of a $200m Vincent van Gogh painting.

The second US circuit court of appeals last week upheld a 2014 ruling by a lower court that dismissed the claims of Pierre Konowaloff. He says the Dutch painter’s The Night Cafe was stolen from his family during the Russian Revolution.

Yale has had the painting since 1961. It sued in 2009 to block Konowaloff from claiming it.

The federal judge who backed Yale last year cited doctrine in which US courts don’t examine the validity of foreign governments’ expropriation orders. In its decision, the appeals court says the lower court acted appropriately.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/26/stolen-vincent-van-gogh-painting-yale-russia-the-night-cafe

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Associated Press in New Haven, Connecticut
Monday 26 October 2015 22.13 GMT

[KamaAina]

1. The Yale Art Gallery rocks.

Since its primary purpose is as a teaching gallery (a number of my junior-year girlfriend's dorm mates were art history majors), it's free. And open to the public.

[Delver Rootnose]

2. Do they have...

...any artworks taken from Jews by the nazis. Because this is the equivalent.

[CTyankee]

10. I think, if that were possible, they would have been severely treated in a court of law.

I don't think Yale, of all places, would be putting themselves in that position.

[wordpix]

18. 20 yrs. after VG painted it when his paintings were worth nothing

That's when the great grandfather bought it. He had an eye for art when no one else thought it was worth anything. I agree with you, DR

[CTyankee]

3. It's great. I saw this painting there and was engrossed in it. What a work!

YUAG is a gift to New Haven that is fabulous. I LOVE his gallery and have spent many wonderful hours here engrossed in the art...

[luvspeas]

4. and I have been to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam...

The family has preserved an amazing body of work and the painting should be in it's rightful place among them.

[CTyankee]

5. This is a matter now in the court, so we will see see...

[CTyankee]

12. I was carried away by my visit to that museum a few years ago...

It was entrancing to me. View of Delft carried me away...

[cstanleytech]

15. They were not the ones suing though nor were the prior owners.

Should Yale donate it or at the very least loan it out to them? Sure but they arent required to do so.

[uppityperson]

6. They denied him because the State, gvt of the country, Russia stole it from him?

[appalachiablue]

7. Thanks for the post. 'The Night Cafe' is a wonderful van Gogh work. I have difficulty with court

decisions and the way some governments, institutions and lawyers handle these cases of stolen art work from wartime or other conflict situations.

[ozone_man]

8. Not too surprising. Yale

Is kind of right wing.

[Sunlei]

9. wow so the russian government sold the looted painting in 1961. That's very recent.

Someone should reimburse $omething back to the original owners family. And make mention by the painting how it was obtained.

Did Yale pay for the painting? or provide a free education for some Russian government officials?

[christx30]

13. The Russian government

should reimburse every family that lost so much during the revolution.

[Sunlei]

14. especially if the russian government hoarded the loot and 'sold it' in 1961. Thats recent.

I wonder if Russian gov. 'traded' the painting for some college educations for some of their government officials.? Yale is expensive education unless they will accept war loot instead of cash.

But those kind of deals would make the tuition fees higher for students who don't have priceless paintings to pay for college.

[Jake Stern]

11. So lemme get this straight. . . .

What the courts have said is basically that even if he COULD prove it was stolen there's not a thing they will do to make it right.

At least Buffy can learn in her Art History class that it's all good to buy and keep looted art as long as it's done by the beeeeyouteeeeeeeful Yale Art Galley.

[marble falls]

21. No. The Court said no US Court will investigate the rulings of another nation's courts. Unless we've

beaten them in a war.

[blackspade]

16. Not surprised.

Yale is one of the richest universities in one of the poorest towns in the nation.
That a judge sides with the rich and powerful is typical.
I guess another "crooked" item to add to Yale's collection.

[brentspeak]

17. You have to see a Van Gogh painting directly, up-close

to fully appreciate it. The colors he came up with were brighter than bright. and even good photographs can't really capture them adequately. Seeing his work up-close, you can see the layers upon layers of paint he globbed onto the canvas to get his desired effect.

[wordpix]

19. I love his stuff, too. I saw a vG painting at the National Gallery that made me cry

It was so blue. I cried b/c it was so beautiful yet no one appreciated his art during his lifetime and it drove him nuts.

[The Second Stone]

20. Rich judges ratify stealing by the rich and keeping by the rich

that's fucked up, but that's American justice for you.