One day before its Old Masters sale in New York, Christie’s withdrew the auction’s top lot, El Greco’s Saint Sebastian (circa 1610-1614), estimated at $7m to $9m, following a last-minute intervention by the Romanian government. The move came after Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced that a team of government-hired lawyers had successfully blocked the sale, claiming the painting was part of Romania’s national heritage.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, a Christie’s spokesperson said, “We received an inquiry about the El Greco painting. Christie’s takes these matters seriously and, out of caution, is withdrawing the lot now. We look forward to selling this unique and spectacular work later.” The auction house will retain the painting until the end of the month as the Romanian government pursues legal action through the Paris Judicial Tribunal.
According to Christie’s now-removed catalogue entry, King Carol I of Romania acquired the El Greco in 1898 and later bequeathed it to the Romanian Crown. It remained in the country until 1976 when ownership was transferred to Wildenstein & Co. in New York. The artwork was acquired in 2010 by the now-defunct art advisory group Giraud Pissarro Segalot for a private client, the current consignor.
The withdrawal of Saint Sebastian left Christie’s sale significantly diminished, totalling 19.5m 22.4m with fees, falling short of its $22.2 million low estimate. The sale also saw a 25% buy-in rate.
The dispute raises questions about how the painting’s 15-year absence from public scrutiny went unnoticed by Romanian authorities and whether any statute of limitations has expired. Autograph works by El Greco rarely appear on the market, with the current record standing at £9.1 million ($13.9 million) for Saint Dominic in Prayer, sold at Sotheby’s London in 2013.
The oval painting, believed to have been in El Greco’s Toledo studio at his death, was featured in a major retrospective organized by the Museo del Prado in 1982-83. The Prado owns another version of the work.
As legal proceedings unfold, the fate of this Renaissance masterpiece remains uncertain, leaving both art market insiders and cultural heritage advocates watching closely.