Onassis foundation buys prized El Greco
The Alexander S. Onassis foundation has bought an El Greco painting once owned by the Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos to return it to the artist's home country of Greece.
The Crowning of the Virgin is to be given on long-term loan to the national gallery of Greece, said Anthony Papadimitriou, the foundation's chairman.
The 17th-century painting was bought from an unidentified American art dealer in the summer. “We were informed the painting was for sale and acted quickly . . . because very few El Greco works are sold on the market,” Mr Papadimitriou said. He declined to say how much was paid.
The piece was originally found among El Greco's belongings when he died in 1614 and was then owned by several collectors, including Marcos, before it was seized and auctioned by the US Government about 12 years ago, said Marina Lambraki-Plaka, the director of the national gallery...
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The Crowning of the Virgin is to be given on long-term loan to the national gallery of Greece, said Anthony Papadimitriou, the foundation's chairman.
The 17th-century painting was bought from an unidentified American art dealer in the summer. “We were informed the painting was for sale and acted quickly . . . because very few El Greco works are sold on the market,” Mr Papadimitriou said. He declined to say how much was paid.
The piece was originally found among El Greco's belongings when he died in 1614 and was then owned by several collectors, including Marcos, before it was seized and auctioned by the US Government about 12 years ago, said Marina Lambraki-Plaka, the director of the national gallery...