German Museum Directors Protest Sale of Warhol's Presley and Brando
- October 20, 2014 22:02
Not everyone is on board with German casino conglomerate WestSpiel's consignment of two seminal 1960s works by Andy Warhol to Christie's November sale in New York. "Triple Elvis" (1963) and "Four Marlon" (1966) could together fetch up to $140 million. Twenty-six museum directors in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia want to stop the sale. They contend this loss of Warhols would damage Germany's reputation as a "cultural nation."
In a petition, the directors argue that the sale “contravenes international conventions” to “protect public cultural heritage.” Although the casino is not a museum, but a business conglomerate controlled by the German government, the petitioners believe the Warhol sell-off could become a “controversial political issue with considerable ripple effect.”
The Warhols were bought by the casino in the 1970s for decor. When their value skyrocketed, the 7-foot Elvis image and the ever-cool Marlon Brando piece were put in storage
