Sotheby's $180m Van Gogh auction challenged over sale under duress claims

Sotheby's intends to put Vincent van Gogh’s oil canvas Châtaigniers en Fleurs up for sale in New York on Wednesday, with an estimate of $180m (£136m), while heirs of the former German owners allege the work may have been forcedly sold during the Nazi period, BBC reported.

The piece, whose title means Blossoming Chestnut Trees, belongs to the Blaquier‑Arrieta Collection. Sotheby's records show the artwork’s provenance back to 1890, noting that German publisher Samuel Fischer acquired it in 1909 and that it remained in his family after his death in 1934.

According to the auction house, the painting was placed with Paul Cassirer in Amsterdam in 1932 or 1933, then passed to Henriette and Marcel Kapferer in Paris in 1936, and has changed hands through four additional owners before this year’s offering.

Sotheby's told the BBC: "Sotheby's takes provenance and restitution matters extremely seriously and has undertaken extensive research into the ownership history of Châtaigniers en fleurs," "We are aware of the concerns recently raised by representatives of the Fischer heirs and have been in dialogue with them regarding the painting's history," and "While our research to date has not established that the painting was sold under duress, we recognize the importance of engaging thoughtfully and constructively with the family and are committed to working toward a mutually satisfactory resolution."

Heirs of the Fischer family have retained a lawyer who, the New York Times says, has written to Sotheby's asserting the work was sold in Amsterdam before World War Two because the Fischer publishing firm suffered financial losses under Nazi rule. The BBC has contacted the lawyer for comment.