They are aiming for this sacred work.
The Romanian government is suing Christie's auction house and Russian billionaires to halt the sale of El Greco's paintings, which it alleges was stolen by Romania's last king more than 70 years ago, the new lawsuit alleges.
Legendary work, San Sebastian – Painted by an old Greek master between 1610 and 1614 – Last month, Christie's was listed at auction for an estimated $9 million.
However, the Romanian government wants to bring down the hammer to the sale before it arises with the claim that the image of Christian martialist Saint Sebastian being stabbed by an arrow cannot be stolen and sold legally.
“Painting is very important to Romania, and the history of the country is very important, and property will be stolen until it is returned to the Romanian state,” said the country's prime minister, Marcel Siorak.
A lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Manhattan Supreme Court, he illegally moved around 40 works from the Royal Palace's National Gallery to a Swiss bank account shortly before King Michael abdicated the Romanian throne following the country's Soviet acquisition in 1947.
Domenicus Theotcopourus, known as El Greco, paints St. Sebastian in three district versions, and the Romanian government says the painting is clearly theirs.
Russian billionaire Dmitry Livolflev bought the painting in the end – inappropriately, the lawsuit alleges – and is also sued to return the job.
“If this unique, historically important, irreplaceable painting is for sale before Romania hears and awards its ownership claims, it will cause immediate irreparable damage to Romania and her people,” continued Ciolacu.
Christie deleted the painting a few days before the auction after learning that Romania had made yet another claim to the ownership of the painting.
“Christie's will take the source study seriously and provide property when they believe it will pass on a good title,” the auction house said in a statement to the Post.
The lawsuit is the latest legal action filed by the former Eastern Bloc nation to retrieve precious artwork that has been hidden for decades, and has been Romania's legitimate property for over 100 years.
That long search, first launched by the former Communist government in 1948, led to what the Romanian government claimed. Accurate record of its origin.
Romania's first monarch, Carol I, had gathered a large collection of art, including many works by El Greco. In 1899, he bequeathed the work to “remain in the country forever and forever as a property of the Romanian crown.”
Including these works San Sebastianwhen the king died in 1914, he became part of the National Gallery in Romania.
However, in 1947, then King Michael deleted about 40 paintings belonging to the crown, including the El Greco in question, and deposited them in a Swiss bank, the lawsuit alleges.
About a month later, the new Communist government dissolved the monarchy and forced Michael to abdicate.
He later sold it San Sebastian In 1975, it was sold to Manhattan Gallery of Wildenstein & Co to its current owner, a trust owned by Rybolovlev.
Besides a short exhibition in Spain almost 40 years ago, the paintings are largely hidden.
While much of that timeline is reflected in Christie's published source, the lawsuit alleges that the auction house did not mention that the film was not the property of Michael I.
“Contrary to the source published by Christie's, the painting was not transferred from the Romanian crown to Michael I, such as a 'according' by the Romanian government,” the lawsuit states, claiming there is no evidence that the work was officially given to the former king. “This entry obscures the true Romanian ownership of this stolen artwork.”
According to the Romanian government, art should have entered public ownership after the monarchy fell.
“Christie agreed to withdraw the painting from the February 5, 2025 auction, but defendant accent and Mr. Leiborflev refused to return the painting to the plaintiff,” the lawsuit reads.
Rybolovlev, who is said to have a $2 billion art collection, failed to sue other top auction house Sotherby's over allegations of fraud last year.
Rybolovlev's attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
Previous lawsuits against Romanian past assumptions and former King Michael have failed, but the new lawsuit stated that past firing is based on jurisdiction and technical issues, not “the merit of Romanian ownership claims.”
The suspect, King Michael's heir, filed a lawsuit alleging the painting following news that Christie had pulled it from an old Masters auction.
