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Carole Mikita ReportingA famous painting, which spent decades in Utah, will be sold at auction in New York City.
This little painting is about to be, once again, the center of attention in the art world. Two months ago, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts returned it to the daughter of a French art dealer; the Nazis had stolen it from him in Paris during World War II. After the war it came to America; a Utah collector bought it in New York and donated it to the museum a dozen years ago.
Now, the daughter is selling it. It will join other old masters’ works at an auction at Christie's in New York City with an asking price between 200 and 300 thousand dollars -- a surprise to the Utah Museum.
David Dee, UMFA Exec. Dir. "Auction records for similar paintings show that one would expect it to have maybe gone for half of that amount. Of course the price is yet to be realized."
About 99% of the paintings you see in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts come from donations, either monetary or gifts of actual paintings from donors.
Just two days from the auction no one here knows of anyone willing to bid and buy the painting, then donate it back to the museum.
David Dee: "Unfortunately we don't have the resources to be at the auction. We'd love to be there and we'll look forward to a report of the sale."
The story is not just one of loss here. The return of the painting became national news; the museum received many e-mails from people throughout the country. Very impressed by the gesture, some have even sent donations.
The 18th century painting by Francois Boucher will be sold at auction this Thursday in New York City.
