A painting by Vincent van Gogh on display at the Detroit Institute of Art was stolen, a new lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by Brokerarte Capital Partners and its sole proprietor, Gustavo Soter, a Brazilian art collector. It claims the DIA borrowed the painting from an unnamed party that is not its legal owner.
The painting in question is an 1888 oil called Une Liseuse De Romans, or The Novel Reader, which shows a young, dark-haired woman reading a yellow book. It is on show as part of the Van Gogh in America exhibition, which features 74 works by the Dutch post-impressionist, borrowed from 50 sources.
According to the lawsuit, Soter purchased the painting in 2017 for $3.7m, whereupon “a third-party immediately took possession of the painting”.
The suit says Soter “never transferred title to or any interest in the painting to this third party. Since the third party took possession of the painting in May 2017, plaintiff has not known the painting’s location.”
According to the lawsuit, Soter recently learned of the painting being part of the Detroit exhibition, which ends on 22 January.
“At that time,” the suit says, “the DIA will move the painting or transfer it to a third party. If the painting is moved or the DIA surrenders possession to a third party, plaintiff will lose the chance to recover the painting, for which [he] has been searching for years.
“Because [Soter] retains good title to the painting and all true ownership interests in the painting, [he] now brings this diversity action to recover possession of [his] property … immediate action is urgently needed.”
The suit requests the painting be given to Soter before the end of the exhibition.
A federal judge ordered DIA to not move the painting, pending a court hearing set for 19 January.
The Detroit Free Press reported that the US district judge, George Caram Steeh, wrote that “the Detroit Institute of Arts is hereby ordered to refrain from damaging, destroying, concealing, disposing, moving, or using as to substantially impair its value, the item”.
Soter estimates the Van Gogh to be worth at least $5m.
In a statement, the DIA said the “loan was accepted in accordance with best museum practices and is subject to the protections of applicable federal law through registration with the US Department of State.
“The DIA was advised yesterday afternoon (11 January) that the federal court has scheduled a hearing on this matter … no allegation of misconduct by the DIA has been alleged, and there has been no request or order for any modification to the exhibition.
“The DIA will continue to act in accordance with all applicable laws and museum best practices.”
