Remember the case of the Bouguereau and the nuns in upstate New York? There’s a new twist, according to the Maine Antiques Digest:

Unfortunately, the newest suit filed with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Albany, burst a few balloons with its denial that the nuns and the bishop were victims. It defends the price paid for the Bouguereau painting as “fair and reasonable” taking into consideration the subject and the condition. It alleges that two art dealers, Paul Dumont and Robert Boyle, conspired to extort money from dealers Mark LaSalle and Mark Zaplin, and when LaSalle spurned their entreaties, they carried out a systematic plot to destroy his reputation.

The March 12 suit charges art dealers Robert Boyle and Paul Dumont with defamation of character, attempted extortion, and conspiracy. It charges that Bishop Clarence Kelly made slanderous and defaming statements, both to groups and individuals, and caused them to be circulated through a number of media outlets.

The suit claims that Boyle and Dumont made the false statements to Bishop Kelly and his congregation in order to provoke the suit the latter filed against LaSalle and Zaplin. It charges that Bishop Kelly “failed to verify facts” and staged interviews and press conferences in religious settings, while appearing in religious vestments, which was deliberately to give an air of honesty and integrity to his statements.

Newest Lawsuit Raises Questions in the Bouguerau, Nuns and Art Dealers Case (Maine Antique Digest)