Mexican passion around the collection of paintings
ARTinvestment.RU   03 декабря 2008

Collector Natasha Gelman bequeathed to American curator Robert Littmanu right to dispose of his collection of Mexican art. Almost ten years of work exhibited in the museum and participated in exhibitions, until suddenly the heir does not appear Gelman ...

Somewhere in the hidden world of a great collection of Mexican art. It includes many works of classics of XX century - Frida Calo (Frida Kahlo), Diego Rivera (Diego Rivera), Jose Clemente Orozco (José Clemente Orozco), and their contemporaries. Formerly located in the museum collection of Cuernavaca city an hour's drive from Mexico City, but recently, his keeper was forced to bring the work of unknown destination. The thing that appeared certain the person who calls himself «the legitimate owner of the collection» and actively fight for works of art in court.

gathered Jacques Gelman Collection (Jacques Gelman, 1909-1986) - an emigre from Russia, made a brilliant career in the Mexican film producer. He and his wife, Natasha (Natasha Gelman) were big fans of Latin American art, and began to build their collection immediately after the wedding. They belonged to the Mexican bogemu the middle of XX century and friends with many famous artists who have often bought the work. Jacques Gelman rich in the production of films with «Mexican Charlie Chaplin», actor, nicknamed Kantinflas (Cantinflas) and could afford to order portraits of his wife at such famous painters as Diego Rivera, Frida Kalo, Rufino Tamayo (Rufino Tamayo), and David Alfaro Siqueiros (David Alfaro Siqueiros). Gelman also assembled an excellent collection of European art, which Natasha, who died in 1998, bequeathed the New York Metropolitan Museum.

A collection of Mexican art Natasha Gelman left his friend Robert L. Littmanu (Robert L. Littman), an American curator. The decision to bequeath him the right to dispose of products it had in 1993. By the time of her death had a collection of 95 works, including two very famous paintings Frida Calo - «Self-portrait in the form of teuany (Diego in my thoughts)» and «Self-portrait with monkey» - and the picture of her husband, Diego Rivera «tradeswoman flowers calla». Most works in the collection belong to the brush Gerso Günther (Günther Gerzso), an abstract painter of Hungarian origin, whose work over the past decade have been highly quoted on the market. In order to dispose of as a collection, Robert Littman established a fund Vergel Foundation. With the support of the fund works from the collection have been able to visit exhibitions in many museums around the world.

Money earned at the shows, Littman spent to enrich the collection. For ten years she has grown three-fold. He filled «gaps» in the collection, which he said Natasha Gelman, and add it works by contemporary artists. In 2004, the curator of the collection found a temporary home. He decided to place work in a museum in Cuernavaca, who founded the American company Costco and its Mexican partners. Perhaps, the owner of the collection would have approved of his choice: it is in Cuernavaca, it has spent the last years of life.

But not all were agreed that the paintings are exhibited in the museum. Two years ago, «as the premises of snuffboxes», declared Jerry Jung (Jerry Jung) - a cousin of Mrs. Gelman, who did not like that she left him not a very large inheritance. Resentful cousin hired a team of lawyers who have found in a small Mexican law «lazeechku». It is using it they are going to prove that Littman no rights in the collection is not.

In the past year, one of the lawyers, Francisco Fuentes Olvera (Francisco Fuentes Olvera), bought for 20 thousand dollars a right to inherit «Mexican» property Natasha Gelman. This right is sold to him by one brother, Sebastian sobiratelnitsy Mario (Mario Sebastian), who died shortly after the conclusion of the transaction. According to the laws of the country, now a lawyer has the right to dispose of any part of the property, which is not stated in the testament, whom she get.

The fact is that the bequest Gel'man Littman is not a full owner of the collection - it is «just» executor. The Family Court of Mexico has decided that the right of inheritance, acquired from Mario Sebastian, is more important than a testament owners meeting, and called the «temporary executor» Fuentes Olveru. Judge Celia Santos (Celia Santos) also stated that Fuentes has the right to take away your entire collection.

Littman, of course, appealed, but the judicial machine, as you know, working with scripts, so the curator decided to act independently. In spring, he took the painting from the museum in Cuernavaca, and hid them.

«After all that happened, we must ensure the safety of [the paintings. - Ed. ], - said New York lawyer, John Bowling clubs Littmana (John Koegel). - And then suddenly Judge Santos something else orders ».

Kegel and other advocates Littmana now actively fighting Seliey Santos. They argue that the judge had ignored certain provisions of the Mexican law of inheritance. The lawyers asked the federal court and obtained the suspension of the proceedings, although advocates of Young challenged that decision.

Representatives of both parties agree that the battle will continue for a long time - possibly for a final decision will take years. In addition, the parties have begun yet another issue: according to Young's lawyers, Robert Littman poorly treated with the collection. Mexico City prosecutor has brought to the curator of a criminal case. Given the capricious and unpredictable nature of the Mexican Themis, it is possible that in the end assembly will be in the hands of Fuentes Olvery.

Of course, many fear that in case of winning teams, all of Young Mexican painting masterpieces from the collection Gelmanov will go under the hammer. But Fuentes Olvery father, a respected lawyer, Enrique Fuentes Leon (Enrique Fuentes León), argues that Jung is struggling for work, not because they are expensive. «This is the province of all Mexican people», - he said.

According to Robert Littmana if the owner of the collection to learn about what is happening around the confusion of its collections, it would have to be in a rage. Curator left Mexico and does not appear in Family Court.

According to a bequest Gelman, works from its collection to be exhibited, but not in the public museum (sobiratelnitsa disliked the Mexican authorities) and private. In addition, the owner of the paintings mentioned, that is necessary to preserve the integrity of the collection. «There is no museum or private collections there are rich collections, and to gather such a collection of today would not have been possible», - lamenting Littman.

Maybe the ever excellent work of Mexican artists will once again delight audiences, but, apparently, it does not yet soon - now they can see only those who knows the location cache.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: nytimes.com , artinvestment.ru