Sotheby’s is being sued by a past seller for damages over a work they allegedly misattributed. The Cardsharps, attributed by the auction house to a “follower of Caravaggio,” was sold for £42,000, and later identified as an authentic Caravaggio by its purchaser, scholar Denis Mahon, increasing its value to an estimated £10 million. The claimant, Lancelot William Thwaytes, seeks unspecified damages, interests and costs for the value of the painting above its original selling price, but Sotheby’s is standing by their attribution. “Our view is also supported by the market, which gave its verdict on this painting when it set the price at £50,400. ” The company said in a statement.
Read more at The Art Newspaper
