Jeanne Marchig, the former owner of La Bella Principessa, a work sold by Christie’s as “German School, early 19th- century” but subsequently attributed to Leonardo, is to appeal against a judgment in favour of the auction house. The work was sold at Christie’s, New York, in 1998, selling for $21,850 to US dealer Kate Ganz. She sold it for a similar price to Canadian collector Peter Silverman, who is convinced that it is by Leonardo and worth over $100m. Marchig later sued Christie’s, arguing that they had failed in their duties. On 31 January a New York Court ruled that the claims by Marchig had run out of time under statutes of limitations. The Leonardo attribution is accepted by scholar Martin Kemp, but rejected by a number of other specialists.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Leonardo Princess fails on statute of limitations'