Christie’s Refuses To Aid In Recovery of Stolen Artwork

Do auction houses have an obligation to help owners of stolen art recover their property? The family of a Holocaust victim wants Christie’s to reveal the owner of a painting the auction house had planned to sell. “To Christie’s, the issue is not so clear-cut. Its lawyers say the auction house has done all it can to help, including contacting the collector and informing him that the painting’s ownership may be at issue.” But they won’t reveal the name.