The art Museum of Bern, sold out of its Gurlitt heritage, the outstanding image of Edouard Manet with the title “Marine, temps d’orage” from the year 1873. In the case of the purchaser the plant is the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, which pays for the Manet of 4 million dollars. It is the first sale of the 1,500 objects from the collection of Hildebrand Gurlitt, has bequeathed to his son Cornelius in 2014, the Kunstmuseum Bern as the sole heir.

To say the least for the Swiss Museum landscape in unprecedented move, the Director of the Bern Museum, Nina rooms, to the “Financial Times” that made the sale on Thursday for the first time made public: “It is quite clear that it is one of the most difficult decisions of a Director, if you have to dispose of a work. But we had a lot of issues when dealing with the Gurlitt estate, which you can hardly pay for it as a small Museum.”

The picture goes to Japan

The sale to Japan would appear to be as useful as the Manet has once belonged to the Japanese Industrial Köjiro Matsukata, whose collection was Western, art the Basis of the national Museum in Tokyo. Matsukato sold it in 1942 to Gurlitt because he wanted to separate from political and financial reasons, from his time in Paris, deposited in the collection.

The sum of 4 million dollars resulted in an independent assessment of the image.

The Manet, it is one of those pictures of the Gurlitt collection, which have been referred to by the provenance researchers as “green”, what’s not to say that it is most likely to be looted art. The sum of 4 million dollars resulted in an independent assessment of the image. The proceeds of the sale should pretty much cover exactly the costs incurred in the investigation of the Gurlitt estate to date. The Museum announced yesterday. If there is still money remaining, should it come to the future exploration of the Gurlitt estate will benefit.

Marcel brühl HART, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum, asserting that the Museum of the Gurlitt heritage wool never ever generate a financial Profit. He emphasized, however, that the Museum could bear no deficit, arising to him from the Gurlitt project.

Gurlitt has debate changed

the room is, in this context, welcome the fact that the Board of Directors of the Museum have accepted the Gurlitt legacy. The Gurlitt case has changed in Switzerland, the climate and the discussion about the origin of works of art to be sustainable, she said. And, in fact, the “persecution-related deprivation” is not, in the meantime, has become in Switzerland a Central category in the debate on the Restitution of works of art, even if the like all museums, and private collectors.

efforts to perform in Spite of the many reasons the Board of Directors and Directorate of the Kunstmuseum Bern, in its press release, the Museum with the sale of one of the best paintings from the tip works not just hand over Gurlitt collection. This reduces the cost of the artistic value of the rest of the collection is sensitive, its acceptance has brought to the Kunstmuseum Bern, a lot of Public Relations, but also a lot of research, effort, and lawyer.

Against this Background, it would therefore have been desirable, if the Kunstmuseum Bern will be able to cover would have its costs for the processing of the collection with private or state resources, and not with the sale of images. When asked about this, says Nina rooms, you hope that it was the first and last sale of the collection. You could not say with absolute certainty, as there may be more, is difficult to calculate the cost to the Museum ought to be.

Maybe not the last sale

it will have meant the attorney’s fees of Hannes Hartung, Mr Gurlitt has represented and his claims are now at the Kunstmuseum Bern as his heir paid would like to have. The matter is still undecided in front of a Munich court. Depending on how it ends, it will be a picture sale.

“the objects of The collections of the museums are inalienable.”Basel Museum act

The sale of the collection is in Switzerland, unlike the USA or the UK, anything other than usual. In the Basel Museum law, for example: “the objects of The collections of the museums are inalienable. Exceptions to the governing Council decides on a joint request from the relevant Museum Directorate of concerned Museum Commission and the rectorate of the University.” The last sale of the Basler Kunstmuseum happened under Director Georg Schmidt (1896-1965), the works from the collection of Raoul La Roche sold.

Also in the ethical guidelines of the Association of Swiss museums (Icom) are sales excluded partout. It is only stated: “the Museum collections are managed for the Public trust and may not be as active assets are treated. Funds or replacement services, which have been obtained by segregation and disposal of objects or specimens from a Museum collection, are exclusively for the Benefit of the collection and usually for acquisitions of this to use.”

Created: 08.11.2019, 14:49 PM