Dealer Wildenstein cleared of tax fraud
Wildenstein and seven other defendants had stood trial over claims that hundreds of millions in back taxes were unpaid because part of the family fortune had been hidden in offshore tax havens.
The case was based on accusations that tax returns for the family estate filed in 2002 undervalued the family fortune.
The defendants denied the charges.
The Paris court judge said there had been a “clear attempt” at concealment but the defendants were cleared because of weaknesses in both the investigation and French tax fraud legislation.
Eton exhibition
A SERIES of drawings and watercolours from the collection of Eton College will go on display next month at the 2017 Works on Paper Fair.
The loan exhibition includes works by the likes of Thomas Gainsborough, Thomas Girtin, John Robert Cozens and JMW Turner. Some have never been publicly exhibited before.
Fair exhibitor and British watercolour and drawings specialist Guy Peppiatt is the curator of the exhibition.
Sotheby’s launches luxury department
SOTHEBY’S has created a new luxury division which will be run by Maarten ten Holder, its managing director of operations in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.
His new role will be global managing director of Luxury & Lifestyle, which will unite categories including jewellery, watches, wine and cars as well as what is described as “experiences”, such as events.
Most read
Here are the most clicked-on stories for the week Jan 5-11 on antiquestradegazette.com
1 15th century gold coin found by dog-walkers heads to auction
2 Dealer Johnny Van Haeften leaves St James’s gallery
3 Hunt on to save Oxford’s antiques centre
4 Phillips bolsters Americas with hires from rival Christie’s
5 Sotheby’s launches new luxury division
In Numbers
115
The number of standholders at the 45th New York International Numismatic Convention which ran from January 12-15 at the Waldorf Astoria.
Police seek ring stolen in Surrey
SURREY police are appealing to the antiques trade for information about a rose gold Victorian ring that was among a collection of jewellery stolen from a home in Godalming, Surrey.
The ring, dated to c.1860, features a rectangular faceted light purple amethyst stone with an etched Rose of Sharon flower. Anyone with information should call 101 quoting crime reference number 45170000590 or report it online via report.police.uk.
Alternatively, the independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Christie’s appoints drawings specialist
FOLLOWING the appointment of former Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Stijn Alsteens as head of drawings, Christie’s has announced that Furio Rinaldi has joined the company as associate specialist in the Old Master Drawings department in New York.
Rinaldi was a researcher in at the Met for the last four years and has helped to organise the Michelangelo loan exhibition opening later this year.
