Sotheby's UK prevailed recently in a court
dispute over an Old Master attribution. At the heart of the
dispute was a painting entitled The Cardsharps, which Sotheby's attributed
to a follower of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610)
and sold for £42,000 in 2006 on behalf of consignor, Lancelot Thwaytes.
Authentic Caravaggio
Since that 2006 sale, it has been determined that the work was
actually painted by Caravaggio himself, and thus valued at £10M. The attribution comes from
renowned collector and Caravaggio expert, the late Sir Denis Mahon, who declared that the
painting was in fact a Caravaggio from 1595.
Litigation
After news of the value of the painting hit the press, Thwaytes
commenced a negligence lawsuit against Sotheby's for failing to
consult with Caravaggio experts. Sotheby's defended the
suit on the grounds that many specialists had not agreed on the Old
Master attribution (and some specialists are still not convinced
that it is a true
