French engineer, Pierre Konowaloff, has filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming his rightful ownership of a Cezanne painting that the museum holds in its private collection. Konowaloff states that the painting was stolen from his great-grandfather in 1918 by Lenin’s Bolshevik army after they raided his house and looted his extensive art collection. Konowaloff’s attorney argues, “This goes to the heart of how these highly respected institutions acquire what they have and what responsibilities they have in getting them.” In response, the MOMA issued a statement defending its ownership of the painting and claims that “this lawsuit is totally without merit”. Konowaloff also has a similar lawsuit against Yale University for ownership of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Night Café”.
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