Lost and Found

In 1978, a number of artworks were stolen from the residence of Michael Bakwin in Massachusetts, One of the stolen art works was Flowers by Vlaminck. Along with the other stolen pieces, the painting eventually ended up in the possession of Robert M. Mardirosian, who attempted to store and sell the paintings in Switzerland and London. The Art Loss Register recovered the stolen Vlaminck in 2006 and it was returned to Bakwin in 2010.

La Voile blanche à Bougival (1909) was last owned by Bernheim-Jeune who was forced to abandon his collection in 1945 when fleeing the Nazi occupation of France. The Vlaminck work was then confiscated by the Gestapo. No one knew where it was until 1960 when it was sold at Sotheby’s London. It was later sold in 1978 at Christie’s London. It underwent multiple resales since due to its controversial provenance and finally was sold at Christie’s New York to Joseph Bernheim-Jeune.