Munch Art Collection For Sale

Norwegian shipping magnate Fred. Olsen will sell 12 works by artist Edvard Munch next month in London. The scheduled February 7 sale at auction house Sotheby's is likely the largest sale of Munch works from the same collection since World War II. 'I grew up with Munch on the walls and have seen these paintings since I was a little boy,' 77-year-old Olsen said. 'I know them by heart. Over time it has become more difficult to have them on the walls. It is a matter of security and tax,' he said, adding that an old dispute with his brother Petter also contributed to the decision. Olsen's father bought them in 1938 from an Oslo art dealer who in turn bought the works from Nazi Germany that sold off confiscated art from German museums considered to be 'degenerate'. For the full story - click the title Irish Art