Lausanne Monet Painting: A Mystery for Sale
La Bataille Autour d’un Tableau : Un Possible Monet Refusé
Table of Contents
Coiffé au poteau
Patrick Steiner a déployé des efforts considérables pour promouvoir son œuvre, Baie de Monaco, jour de régate, cherchant à susciter l’intérêt de diverses parties, y compris la Principauté de Monaco elle-même. le yacht club de Monaco a même envisagé d’utiliser l’image pour la couverture de son livre anniversaire, «Monaco port des princes», publié en 1996. Cependant, le prince a finalement opté pour un autre Monet, également intitulé La Baie de Monaco, représentant un paysage similaire mais avec un seul bateau au center.
Cette autre toile a été vendue par Richard Coburn, médecin personnel de la famille Wildenstein, avec Daniel Wildenstein agissant comme intermédiaire auprès de la Principauté. Contrairement au tableau de Patrick Steiner, cette œuvre figure au catalogue raisonné de l’Institut.
Trois ans plus tard, après plusieurs tentatives, Patrick steiner a obtenu un rendez-vous au musée Marmottan Monet à Paris, qui abrite une grande partie de la collection du peintre décédé en 1926, ainsi que ses archives. Malheureusement, Marianne Delafond, la conservatrice de l’époque, a refusé de lui montrer les carnets de l’artiste, qui auraient pu contenir des informations sur Baie de Monaco, Jour de régate. À deux reprises, Patrick Steiner a sollicité l’institut Wildenstein, mais celui-ci a refusé de considérer son tableau.Contacté, l’Institut a répondu se «réserver le droit de rendre une décision sans commentaire.»
Contre vents et marées
Joël Cohen, propriétaire de la galerie parisienne Adler, n’est pas surpris par cette situation. Il exprime son opinion : «Je pense pour ma part que c’est un monet. Je ne suis pas expert, mais j’ai 43 ans d’expérience dans le milieu et j’en ai vu passer plusieurs». Il a également mentionné avoir eu «plusieurs rendez-vous à propos de ce tableau annulés à la dernière minute» avec un membre de la famille Wildenstein.
Cohen ajoute : «Beaucoup de tableaux, que le père [Daniel Wildenstein] ne voulait pas reconnaître mais qu’il a ensuite essayé d’acheter, se sont ensuite retrouvés dans sa vitrine», faisant référence au scandale entourant le tableau les Meules, également de Claude Monet, initialement refusé dans le catalogue raisonné, puis intégré des années plus tard après avoir été racheté par des proches de la famille Wildenstein.
Bien que patrick Steiner soit convaincu de l’authenticité du tableau,certains experts restent sceptiques,citant un excès de détails dans la représentation du littoral monégasque et un manque de précision dans l’exécution des drapeaux des bateaux. Néanmoins, Steiner persiste, animé par une confiance inébranlable en son instinct.
Diagnostiqué d’une tumeur au cerveau fin 2016, Patrick Steiner n’a pas pu obtenir la reconnaissance de l’authenticité de son tableau de son vivant. Hospitalisé et affaibli, il a souhaité rassurer ses créanciers avant de décéder. Contre l’avis de son médecin, il a quitté le CHUV le 15 décembre 2016. Incapable de se déplacer, il a convoqué l’avocat genevois Alexandre Camoletti, représentant la principale créancière, à son domicile à Lausanne quatre jours plus tard.
Le flair pour les affaires
L’avocat est arrivé au rendez-vous après avoir visité les bureaux de Natural Le Coultre à Genève, où Baie de Monaco, Jour de régate était entreposé depuis des années. Cette société appartenait à Yves Bouvier,dont Camoletti était l’un des avocats dans l’affaire contre l’oligarque russe Dmitry Rybolovlev.
Okay, let’s break down this text about Patrick Steiner’s Monet and the controversies surrounding its authenticity. Here are some key questions and answers, designed to be informative and search-engine kind:
La Bataille Autour d’un Tableau : Un Possible Monet Refusé
Here’s a question-and-answer structure addressing the key themes of the text:
1. What is the central conflict in the case of Patrick Steiner’s painting, “Baie de Monaco, Jour de régate”?
Answer: The primary conflict revolves around the authenticity of Patrick Steiner’s painting, “Baie de Monaco, Jour de régate,” which he believed was a genuine work by Claude Monet. The art establishment, particularly the Wildenstein Institute, the recognized authority on Monet’s work, refused to authenticate it. This rejection led to a battle to prove the painting’s legitimacy.
2. Why did the Yacht Club of Monaco not use the painting for its book?
Answer: The yacht Club of Monaco initially considered using Steiner’s “Baie de Monaco, Jour de régate” for the cover of its anniversary book, “Monaco port des princes.” However, they ultimately chose another Monet painting, also titled “La Baie de Monaco,” which was available through Richard Coburn, the personal physician of the Wildenstein family. This indicates preferential treatment given to the Wildenstein family.
3. What role did the Wildenstein Institute play in the controversy?
Answer: The Wildenstein Institute, which produces the official “catalogue raisonné” of Monet’s work, was a central player in the controversy.
They refused to authenticate Steiner’s painting.
The institute initially refused to address Steiner’s claims.
The Institute’s role is pivotal because the catalogue raisonné is the de facto standard in determining authenticity.
The text mentions the Wildenstein family and their potential influence on which artworks were accepted into the “catalogue raisonné”.
4. who are the key figures involved,besides Patrick Steiner,and what were their roles?
Answer:
Daniel Wildenstein: Head of the Wildenstein Institute and art dealer. He acted as an intermediary in the sale of another Monet painting to the Principality of Monaco.
Richard Coburn: Physician to the Wildenstein family.He sold the confirmed Monet “La Baie de Monaco.”
Marianne Delafond: the curator of the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris at the time. She refused Steiner access to monet’s notebooks and archives,that could possibly have confirmed the authenticity of his painting.
Joël Cohen: Owner of the Galerie Adler in Paris. He believed Steiner’s painting was a Monet and mentioned having appointments regarding this painting cancelled at the last minute.
Alexandre Camoletti: Genevan lawyer representing Steiner’s creditors.
Yves Bouvier: Owner of Natural Le Coultre, where the painting was stored. Camoletti also represented Bouvier in a legal case.
5. What arguments were used against the authenticity of Steiner’s painting?
Answer: Doubts about the painting’s authenticity stemmed from:
Excessive detail in the depiction of the Monegasque coastline.
Lack of precision in the rendering of the flags on the boats.
The refusal by the Wildenstein Institute to consider the painting.
6. What is the importance of the case of “Les Meules” mentioned in the text?
Answer: The example of the Monet painting ”Les Meules (Haystacks)” is relevant because it was initially rejected from the catalogue raisonné (and therefore deemed inauthentic) but was later included after being acquired by individuals associated with the Wildenstein family. This raises questions about potential conflicts of interest influencing the Institute’s authentication process.
7. What happened to Patrick Steiner?
Answer: Patrick Steiner was diagnosed with a brain tumor in late 2016. Despite his illness, he remained convinced of his painting’s authenticity.
He passed away before his painting could be officially recognized as an authentic Monet.
Steiner, despite his declining health, insisted on meeting with his creditor’s lawyer.
8.What is the role of Yves Bouvier in this story?
Answer: Yves Bouvier, a Swiss art dealer, stored “Baie de Monaco, Jour de Régate” in his Natural Le Coultre’s facilities in Geneva. The lawyer Alexandre Camoletti, who represented Steiner creditor, was also bouvier’s lawyer in a different legal case (the Rybolovlev case).
9. How does the text illustrate potential conflicts of interest in the art world?
Answer: Several elements point to potential conflicts:
The influence of the Wildenstein family and their Institute.
The rejection of Steiner’s painting.
The history of the “Les Meules” shows the potential for works to be accepted or rejected based on the art world power dynamics or financial incentives.
10. What is the consequence of the painting not being recognised as a Monet painting?
Answer:
The painting loses its value and is significantly lessened in market worth.
The painting cannot be exhibited in museums.
Steiner’s effort to promote his work was rejected.
11. Why did Patrick Steiner seek the opinion of the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris？
Answer: In a pivotal move, Patrick Steiner sought the view of the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, also known as the location of Claude Monet’s personal collection. He made the request in 1999. He was hopeful the archives accessible to Marianne Delafond, the conservator, could provide insight into “Baie de Monaco, Jour de régate,” which was also an prospect to affirm its authenticity. unluckily, his aspirations were not met as the conservator was unwilling to show Steiner Monet’s notebooks.
12. What is the catalogue raisonné ?
Answer: “catalogue raisonné” is a thorough, scholarly catalogue of an artist’s complete works. It includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc. and represents the most complete record of an artist’s work. They are considered authoritative and are immensely valuable in determining the authenticity of artworks.
| Term | Definition | Relevance to Steiner’s Case |
|———————-|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
| Catalogue Raisonné | A comprehensive, scholarly catalogue of an artist’s complete works. | The lack of inclusion in the official catalogue (Wildenstein Institute’s) was a major hurdle for Steiner. |
| Provenance | The chronological record of ownership of a work of art. | A solid provenance is crucial for authentication. The lack of confirmed provenance might have raised doubts about Steiner’s painting.|
| Expert Opinion | The evaluation of a work of art by recognized specialists in the field. | Steiner’s case hinged on gaining the acceptance of experts, which he ultimately failed to achieve during his lifetime. Joël Cohen supports Steiner’s claim. Other experts were doubtful. |
| Art Forgery | The creation of artworks falsely attributed to an artist or the deliberate falsification of artwork. | The core issue here. The question that Steiner’s opponents raised in the art world would be of weather Steiner’s painting constitutes a genuine Monet or a forgery. |
| Authentication | The process of verifying the authenticity of an artwork. This involves examining the artwork’s materials, style, provenance, and comparing it to known works by the artist. | The central challenge Steiner faced. He needed to convince experts and the art world to authenticate* his painting as a genuine Monet. |