FBI Show Stolen Art

When New York art collector William Kingsland died in 2006, he left behind hundreds of works of art. But some, including works by Pablo Picasso, turned out to have been stolen art. The FBI, searching for the rightful owners of possibly stolen items, posted photographs on Monday of some Kingsland art on its Web site. Kingsland left behind an impressive collection of more than 300 pieces, including a minimalist stilllife by Giorgio Morandi and collages by Kurt Schwitters. Because he left no will and no heirs stepped forward, public administrators hired auction houses Christie's and Stair Galleries to sell the art. But an oil-on-canvas by early-American painter John Singleton auctioned off by Stair for $85,000 was discovered to have been a stolen item, and Christie's had to cancel a sale from Kingsland's art collection when issues of provenance, or history of ownership, cropped up. The FBI said it has since found several items had been stolen and believes there are more. It posted photographs of some 140 pieces of art on its Web site http://www.fbi.gov/page2/august08/arttheft_081108.html For full source and full article click the Headline). Irish Art