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Contentious $1 Million Lawsuit Surrounds Disputed Louise Nevelson Sculpture and Pace Gallery

Litigation looms over Pace following claims of market manipulation in the withdrawal of a Louise Nevelson sculpture from Sotheby's auction, as asserted by the artwork's owner.

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Lawsuit filed against Pace over alleged market manipulation of Louise Nevelson sculpture, with the...
Lawsuit filed against Pace over alleged market manipulation of Louise Nevelson sculpture, with the sculpture's owner accusing Sotheby's of manipulation.

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Art world drama hits a boiling point as Louisiana Nevelson's market kingpin, Arne Glimcher, stirs up a storm over a stacked-wood sculpture. In a juicy lawsuit, the Beloff estate accuses Pace Gallery of grasping for control by tanking a sale, all while Glimcher himself denies any wrongdoing.

Here's a lowdown on the affair: Glimcher, founder of Pace Gallery and Louise Nevelson's right-hand man during her artistic reign, had appraised the disputed sculpture way back in 1993. Fast forward nearly three decades, the same work was consigned for an auction at Sotheby's by collector Hardie Beloff's estate. Glimcher, still holding the reins, shifted gears and told Sotheby's that the sculpture, made from authentic Nevelson boxes, was actually assembled by her son, Mike.

The Beloff estate counterpunched, filing a lawsuit in the US District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania last year, accusing Pace of chilling the sale to protect its controlling grip on Nevelson's market. The core of the suit is Glimcher's call to Sotheby's, where he is claimed to have stated that the work would not be included in any upcoming catalogue raisonné for the artist, a prestigious and authoritative publication of an artist's complete body of work.

But things get sticky. Arne Glimcher's appraisal document, attached to the complaint, showed a major inconsistency—in 1993, he had valued the sculpture at a mere $85,000 and labeled it as "of mediocre quality." Then, in 2022, he declared it inauthentic without offering new evidence to support his reversal. The estate argues this was all part of a larger scheme to cement Glimcher's sway over Nevelson's market and secure Pace's position as her longtime representative.

As the legal battle heats up, Louise Nevelson's legacy sizzles. This year, Pace Gallery held a solo exhibition, "Louise Nevelson: Shadow Dance," touting the artist's pioneering later works. Meanwhile, other major institutions are mounting exhibitions and shows in Venice, New York, Columbus, and Seoul.

This isn't Pace's first rodeo with controversy following Nevelson's demise. The estate turmoil after Nevelson's death in 1988 saw Diana MacKown, the artist's assistant, and Mike Nevelson, her son, go at it in a bitter legal and personal battle over ownership of dozens of works. Jasper Johns and Edward Albee waded into the fray, supporting MacKown's claims.

During this time, the IRS ruled Sculptotek, the corporation Mike Nevelson set up to manage his mother's affairs, a "sham" corporation. Glimcher's 1993 appraisal was one of two made for the IRS at the time, otherwise freezing the market for Nevelson's work. Glimcher and Hoffeld, the former Pace vice president who was appointed to oversee sales, have a long and tangled relationship dating back to the estate disputes.

Beloff bought the work in 1996 from Mike Nevelson himself, and it stayed in Pennsylvania on Beloff's wall until his death in January 2022. The sculpture, now in storage in Philadelphia, remains at the center of a heated legal battle between the Beloff estate and Pace Gallery, as they fight for control of Nevelson's legacy and the rights to her works.

Sources:

  1. https://www.artnet.com/news/market/pace-gim Limcher-nevelson-beloff-estate-lawsuit-sothebys-894345
  2. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/louise-nevelson-lawsuit-pace-gallery-arne-Glimcher-1234611631/
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/arts/design/louise-nevelson-art-market.html
  4. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/arts/design/louise-nevelson-died-in-1988-her-estate-is-still-entangled-in-disputes.html
  5. The art world is embroiled in a scandal, with Pace Gallery and Arne Glimcher, a prominent art collector and gallery owner, at the center of a legal dispute over a Louise Nevelson sculpture.
  6. Glimcher, who was Nevelson's appraiser, appraised the disputed sculpture in 1993 and declared it 'of mediocre quality' with a value of $85,000.However, in 2022, he declared it inauthentic without providing additional evidence.
  7. The Beloff estate, the current owner of the sculpture, has accused Pace Gallery of trying to control Nevelson's market by undermining the sale of the artwork at Sotheby's.
  8. The central argument of the lawsuit is that Glimcher told Sotheby's that the disputed sculpture would not be included in any forthcoming catalog of Nevelson's work, which could harm the market value of the artwork.
  9. As the legal battle unfolds, the future of Louise Nevelson's legacy and the rights to her works are uncertain, with Pace Gallery currently spearheading a solo exhibition of Nevelson's work.
  10. This is not the first time Pace Gallery and Arne Glimcher have been embroiled in controversy surrounding Nevelson's estate; controversies involving ownership of works and legal disputes between parties have been ongoing since Nevelson's death in 1988.
  11. The art market and finance world are closely watching the legal battle between the Beloff estate and Pace Gallery, as the outcome could have significant implications for the contemporary art market and the representation of artists in the future.

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