Pictures of Juan Miro will still be auctioned

LONDON. The auction for the sale of 85 works by the Catalan artist Juan Miro, owned by the Portuguese government, will be held in London in June this year. This was stated recently by a representative of the auction house Christie’s. Recall that on February 4, the paintings were withdrawn from the auction due to legal uncertainties.

A staff member at Christie’s stressed that the exact date that painting lovers will have a unique opportunity buy a picture Juana Miro, will be called "in due time." Note that this collection is considered one of the largest in the world, and earlier opinions were expressed that works of art should belong to the people of Portugal.

However, the administrative court of Lisbon decided not to cancel the sale of paintings. During a hearing in the Portuguese parliament, the president of Parvalorem, an open joint-stock company that manages Miro’s legacy, Francisco Nogueira Leite, said the work was likely not to return to Portugal, and also supported the authorities’ desire to sell works of art. The proceeds are supposed to be used to support the economy of the country, which is in a deep crisis today.

The lawsuit to prevent the sale of works by a Spanish artist was initiated by a group of Socialist deputies with the support of nearly 9,000 Portuguese citizens who signed an online petition. Opponents of the auction also argue that the current valuation of the lot (35 million euros or 48 million US dollars) is significantly lower than the real value of the collection, estimated in 2008 at 80 million euros or 110 million US dollars.

Anna Sidorova © Gallerix.ru