The Antiques Trade Gazette continues to fan the flames surrounding the re-discovered da Vinci portrait. For one thing, it’s important to remember the valuation on the work comes from the owner’s representative Peter Silverman. He picted £100 million out of the air based on the price paid for a Jackson Pollock by Steven Cohen. They may very well be able to realize such a price but we’re still in a very different financial world from the one where Cohen made his purchase. Nevertheless, Silverman stands to benefit from any sale, according to Simon Hewitt who spoke to Silverman for ATG:
He says his client is a collector of contemporary art, “independently wealthy and interested in charitable causes and animal issues”, and is looking to set up a “non-profit-making foundation for multi-disciplinary Classical and Renaissance studies” near Florence, to be headed by Professor Martin Kemp.
Silverman has confirmed that the portrait will be shown in Göthenburg next March, whether a buyer comes forward in the interim or not. He is taking part in a press conference in Göthenburg to promote the exhibition – expected to attract 250,000 visitors – on October 28. […]
Meanwhile Lumière Technology say they have been inundated by a media barrage since ATG broke the story two weeks ago.
Partner Jean Penicaut has counted 1500 press articles, TV reports on “every channel on earth”, and says their website has gone from 150 to 3000 hits per day, and that even a cabbie talked to him about the Leonardo on a recent visit to London.
But Lumière were infuriated when Christie’s were reported to have tentatively queried the Leonardo attribution on ABC News, as based on “unproven scientific techniques which were not available to us at the time”. Meanwhile, Kate Ganz told Associated Press that “nothing that I have seen or read in the past two years has changed my mind… I do not believe that this drawing is by Leonardo da Vinci”.
However, a growing body of academic opinion now believes that this is fully attributable work.
‘Live with Leonardo’–Buyer Peter Silverman Talks to ATG (Antiques Trade Gazette)
