Courbet Attribution Dispute: Buyer Seeks Sale Annulment Despite Favorable Expert Report
In France, a dispute regarding the legitimacy of a painting believed to be by Gustave Courbet, titled Deux chevreuils au repos dans un paysage de neige, is ongoing. This artwork was auctioned for €156,250 at Osenat on 20 March 2022 and was associated with art critic Théodore Duret. In 2019, Johann Naldi loaned it to the Musée Courbet for display. On 2 July 2023, the Comité Courbet denied its attribution, leading the buyer to file a lawsuit against Osenat and expert Thomas Morin-Williams. Judicial expert Gilles Perrault subsequently connected the painting to two works by Courbet, although his findings were questioned. The court is set to decide on the annulment request, taking into account the buyer's objections and expert opinions.
Key facts
- The painting Deux chevreuils au repos dans un paysage de neige, attributed to Gustave Courbet, sold for €156,250 including fees at Osenat in Fontainebleau on 20 March 2022.
- The work had an estimate of €80,000 to €120,000 and was presented as coming from the collection of art critic Théodore Duret (1838–1927).
- In 2019, owner Johann Naldi lent the painting to the Musée Courbet in Ornans for the exhibition 'Courbet / Hodler : une rencontre', held from October 2019 to January 2020.
- The Comité Courbet refused the attribution and inclusion in the catalogue raisonné on 2 July 2023, prompting the buyer to sue for annulment.
- Judicial expert Gilles Perrault initially reserved, later concluded the work was authentic, linking it to Courbet paintings in Troyes and Warsaw.
- Perrault determined the inscription reads '66', not the monogram 'GC' considered by the Comité Courbet.
- The buyer's lawyer contested Perrault's changed conclusions and his failure to examine comparison works or consult the Comité Courbet.
- A second Naldi-owned painting, Femme nue couchée au bord de l'eau (1869), failed to sell at Rouillac in June 2023 amid authenticity doubts.
Entities
Artists
- Gustave Courbet
- Théodore Duret
- Johann Naldi
- Thomas Morin-Williams
- Gilles Perrault
- Fernand Lair-Dubreuil
- Élisabeth Santacreu
- Emma Boutier
Institutions
- Osenat
- Comité Courbet
- Musée Courbet d'Ornans
- MaCommune.info
- Rouillac
- lejournaldesarts.fr
Locations
- Fontainebleau
- France
- Ornans
- Troyes
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Paris