was auctioned for $1.9 million, the highest price paid at auction for post-World War II artwork at the time.Police reports say an anonymous male called university police and a crime hotline the day after the theft, asking if there was a reward.
The FBI worked leads, including the possibility that Santa Fe, New Mexico, was a clearinghouse for stolen art.Seastone never forgot “Woman-Ochre.” He was later promoted to police chief. Whenever he learned that the FBI had recovered stolen paintings, he would follow up to see if"Woman-Ochre" was part of the lot.By January 9, 1986, university police had exhausted leads in the investigation of the stolen de Kooning painting. The case was placed on inactive, pending further developments.
David Van Auker, the store’s co-owner, wasn’t interested in the estate for two reasons. The home was 30 miles away in rural Cliff. And lately, his business model had drifted away from estates and toward selling used furniture and art from upscale hotels and resorts.Van Auker recommended Sherri Lyle, who ran an estate sale and consignment shop next door. But he said Roseman didn’t want an estate sale. He wanted the home cleared out.
Jerry and Rita Alter bought 20 acres in Cliff, New Mexico, in 1974 and later moved to the rural community after Jerry retired from his job as a music teacher in New York City.Van Auker headed down the hall to the couple’s bedroom, where a glossy dresser caught his eye. He closed the door to get a better look at the dresser. That’s when he saw the painting.
The painting was the first thing unloaded when they got to the store. Van Auker planned to take it home but didn’t want to leave it on the sidewalk. So they leaned the painting against a post inside the store, intending to put it back in the truck once they unloaded. Two more customers remarked on the painting. One pointed out the exceptional brush strokes and depth of color. The artist returned twice. The second time, he offered $200,000. But he cautioned that they needed to research the painting and its value first.
Miller stayed calm, not wanting to portray much emotion. They exchanged phone numbers, and she asked him to email pictures. She also asked him to send her the painting’s measurements. The dimensions Van Auker sent back were off by just a couple inches, consistent with the painting being cut from its frame.They called university police and the FBI.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: CBS21NEWS - 🏆 304. / 63 Read more »
Source: nypost - 🏆 91. / 67 Read more »
Source: latimes - 🏆 11. / 82 Read more »
Source: MotorTrend - 🏆 230. / 63 Read more »
Source: sdut - 🏆 5. / 95 Read more »
Source: WOKVNews - 🏆 247. / 63 Read more »