14 ms·

The Mystery of the Disappearing van Gogh

30 points by prismatic 3y ago

neonate 3y ago
http://web.archive.org/web/20230531132623/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/29/world/asia/van-gogh-china-buyer.html http://web.archive.org/web/20230531132623/https://www.nytime... https://archive.ph/0wTb9 https://archive.ph/0wTb9
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
pcurve 3y ago
Considering it is far from being his best or well known work, the $62m price tag is still shocking. https://news.artnet.com/market/chinese-film-magnate-buys-van-gogh-for-62-million-158468 https://news.artnet.com/market/chinese-film-magnate-buys-van... His most recent work sold is even lesser known work at nearly double the price tag. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard_with_Cypresses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard_with_Cypresses I'm convinced The Starry Night painting would fetch 1.5 billion dollar, if it were to ever come onto market.
einpoklum 3y ago
Massive bids on paintings are a preposterous craze of privileged people with too much (ill-gotten) wealth.
- CharlesW 3y ago
  Art is apparently a very popular vehicle for laundering money. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2019/09/the-art-of-money-laundering-and-washing-illicit-cash-mashberg https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2019/09/the...
  - gerdesj 3y ago
    "For Green, dabbling in the dark art of money laundering has ended poorly. He has been indicted in the United States on six counts of attempted money laundering, and his gallery in the Mayfair district of London has been declared insolvent by British regulators." ... and will eventually end in tears.
- mcv 3y ago
  Ill-gotten. It wouldn't surprise me if overpriced art was a major avenue for money laundering. Secret buyers, ridiculous sums of money, and paintings vanishing into private collections would make it perfect for that.
scrubs 3y ago
The pickure of the invoice looks like it's made on windows 7 + quickbooks 2011 using the "executive template" suggestive of Sotheby's flourish for paperwork /s

30 points by prismatic 3y ago

http://web.archive.org/web/20230531132623/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/29/world/asia/van-gogh-china-buyer.html http://web.archive.org/web/20230531132623/https://www.nytime... https://archive.ph/0wTb9 https://archive.ph/0wTb9

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

pcurve 3y ago

Considering it is far from being his best or well known work, the $62m price tag is still shocking. https://news.artnet.com/market/chinese-film-magnate-buys-van-gogh-for-62-million-158468 https://news.artnet.com/market/chinese-film-magnate-buys-van... His most recent work sold is even lesser known work at nearly double the price tag. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard_with_Cypresses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard_with_Cypresses I'm convinced The Starry Night painting would fetch 1.5 billion dollar, if it were to ever come onto market.

einpoklum 3y ago

Massive bids on paintings are a preposterous craze of privileged people with too much (ill-gotten) wealth.

CharlesW 3y ago
Art is apparently a very popular vehicle for laundering money. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2019/09/the-art-of-money-laundering-and-washing-illicit-cash-mashberg https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2019/09/the...
- gerdesj 3y ago
  "For Green, dabbling in the dark art of money laundering has ended poorly. He has been indicted in the United States on six counts of attempted money laundering, and his gallery in the Mayfair district of London has been declared insolvent by British regulators." ... and will eventually end in tears.
mcv 3y ago
Ill-gotten. It wouldn't surprise me if overpriced art was a major avenue for money laundering. Secret buyers, ridiculous sums of money, and paintings vanishing into private collections would make it perfect for that.

scrubs 3y ago

The pickure of the invoice looks like it's made on windows 7 + quickbooks 2011 using the "executive template" suggestive of Sotheby's flourish for paperwork /s