Ambroise Vollard Stash of 140 Works Found

Always fascinated by Ambroise Vollard, one of the most important dealers in French contemporary art at the beginning of the twentieth century, I was amazed to read this article today about all these paintings that were found in 1979, but neglected for decades!

"A long-lost trove of Impressionist and Modern art not seen since World War II will be offered at auction in London and Paris, Sotheby's said Friday. The 140 works - including paintings, prints and drawings - belonged to Parisian art dealer Ambroise Vollard, who played an important role promoting artists including Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso and Matisse. The collection was found in 1979 in a Paris bank vault. It had been neglected for decades because Erich Slomovic, an acquaintance of Vollard who deposited the art in the bank in 1939, was killed by the Nazis in 1942.

The key work is a 1905 painting by French artist Andre Derain valued at up to (EURO)15 million ($18 million). Derain co-founded the short-lived Fauve art movement with Matisse in the early 20th century." [more...]