Art Institute fights to hold on to disputed Egon Schiele artwork
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"Russian War Prisoner." Image courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is fighting to keep a work that New York authorities say belongs to the family of a Holocaust victim.
What's happening: The Manhattan District Attorney has "seized in place" Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele's "Russian War Prisoner" at AIC. The artwork remains at the museum while the institution defends its ownership through legal proceedings.
The big picture: The artwork is among several that the DA's office is working to return to the heirs of Jewish art collector Franz Friedrich Grünbaum.
- Museums in Pittsburgh and Oberlin, Ohio, this month surrendered two of Schiele's works.
- The DA's office returned seven other pieces by the artist last year.
What they're saying: AIC argues that the institution legally purchased "Russian War Prisoner" from a Chicago gallery in 1966.
- "We have done extensive research on the provenance history of this work and are confident in our lawful ownership of the piece," a museum spokesperson tells Axios.
Of note: The drawing on paper is currently not on public display.
Context: Grünbaum was a Jewish Austrian cabaret singer who was forced to give up his art collection, including 80 works by Schiele, when Nazis sent him to die at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
- Grünbaum's sister-in-law later inherited the collection, and "Russian War Prisoner" was sold to a series of galleries before AIC purchased it.
Between the lines: The artwork has been the source of civil litigation between some of Grünbaum's heirs and the museum.
- A federal court dismissed the latest suit in November, citing expired statute of limitations and previous rulings that said "Russian War Prisoner" was legally sold by the sister-in-law.
Yes, but: A judge will decide later this year if AIC has to turn over the artwork to the Manhattan DA. Oral arguments are set to begin in April.
Editor's note: This story and headline have been corrected to reflect that the Art Institute is legally fighting to retain the Schiele work (not refusing to surrender it). The story has also been clarified to show that the Manhattan district attorney ordered its seizure in place (not federal authorities).