Ottavio Leoni

Old Master Drawing Stolen in 1993 Resurfaces in London

Mar 6, 2013

Stolen from a private residence in 1993, this old master drawing was located when it was offered for sale at Sotheby’s in 2012.

The consignor turned out to be the original theft victim who had previously collected an insurance settlement for the loss.  When confronted by Chris Marinello, acting on behalf of the insurer, the victim claimed that her sister bought the work at Portobello Market and recognised it was hers.  She “forgot” to notify the insurance company and reimburse them for the insurance payout.

Declining now to reimburse the insurer, the victim released any claim to the work allowing it to sell at Sotheby’s on behalf of underwriters.  The victim did ask if she could keep the original frame…no.