A Van Gogh That's Likely Not Going Anywhere

Remember the Van Gogh exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts?

There's now a lawsuit as to the ownership of one of the paintings now on display there.

The Detroit News: Judge blocks DIA from concealing Van Gogh in international fight

A federal judge Wednesday blocked Detroit Institute of Arts officials from moving or hiding a painting by Vincent van Gogh, less than 24 hours after a company that claims ownership sued the museum, saying the artwork had been missing for nearly six years until it was discovered on display as part of the museum's "Van Gogh in America" exhibition.

It's a rather curious case as after paying $3.6 million for the painting in 2017 the claimed owner and Plaintiff in the lawsuit then for some reason

transferred possession, but not title, to an unidentified third party, the lawsuit alleges. No additional details are provided in the six-page lawsuit, filed in federal court in Detroit.

A little more detail as to who he transferred it to and why would probably be interesting and likely more will come out in the case as it moves along.

In any case this particular Van Gogh is likely not going anywhere soon.

So I Van Went To Van Gogh

The Detroit Institute of Arts is hosting a special "Van Gogh In America" exhibit, bringing together multiple works of Van Gogh for public display at the DIA.

Security was rather tight and they're not allowing bags in. 

I had planned to see the exhibit and then do some work in their courtyard after seeing the exhibit, but due to vile progs defacing art in the name of Global Warming Climate Change, you can't bring bags in anymore including laptop bags. So, we decided to just see the exhibit and then head back to do work afterward.

This is not the immersive traveling Van Gogh exhibit, but rather the actual paintings on a special exhibit. There are 74 Van Gogh paintings and sketches on display in the exhibit brought in from numerous institutions to be put on for this exhibition.

Including the very one first purchased by the DIA in 1922, which was the first purchase of a Van Gogh by an American Art Museum.

This one:

One of his rather famous self-portraits.  

He did a lot of self-portraits, being unable to afford models much of the time. Quite neat to see it in person along with the other art works. Apparently, the DIA caught quite a bit of flack back then for buying it as Van Gogh's art wasn't considered quite artsy enough at the time.

Lots of his works have olive trees:

 

This is because they were outside the windows of the asylum he checked himself into for mental issues.

He had a mental condition that we would likely diagnose as Bi-Polar today.

In his final days, he produced 75 paintings in 70 days.  Can you say manic episode?

Van Gogh died at a young age from suicide in 1890 at the age of 37. A lot of talent that sadly burnt out at so young an age.

His art took some time after his death to catch on in America. It finally started to become popular here in 1935 due to a the Museum of Modern Art's exhibition of his work which caught peoples attention and led to its popularity.

Quite a nice exhibit and a nice morning break from the office and the usual day-to-day. 

If you're near the Detroit area, I'd recommend taking the time to go see it.  There are tickets required with set viewing times, as they want to limit the number of people who are in the exhibit to allow people to be able to enjoy it and be able to easily view the art without it being crowded.

In Detroit, Art May Get To Imitate The City's Financial Life

Hot on the heels of the art tax levy on Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties to ensure fund the Detroit Institute of Arts after the City of Detroit has been chronically underfunding it in August 2012, comes the news that the Detroit Institute of Arts' collections, since they are owned by the City of Detroit, may go on the auction block to pay the City's debt's should the city file bankruptcy.

The Detroit News: Like DIA, smaller museums fear their assets are in peril

The prospect of the Detroit Institute of Arts losing its collection to satisfy creditors in a municipal bankruptcy is prompting concern at other city-owned venues with potentially vulnerable assets.

This is why the City of Detroit can't have nice things - it squanders them relentlessly, and any further bailout or tax in support of its institutions may just be the continuation of the greatest con game it has run to date.

Now, this may be just a bunch of posturing to get yet a further bailout of the city, a threat of "Bail us out or the Art gets it", or it may be the natural result of letting this corrupt Democrat-controlled city own such shiny baubles without being able to afford them.

Either way, anyone else in the Tri-County area feeling more than a little played over the tax?

At least one Commissioner in Macomb County does: The Macomb Daily: Broken promises — Macomb officials could halt DIA tax

Expressing dismay over false promises provided in 2012 by the Detroit Institute of Arts, Macomb officials are ready to halt the DIA tax money collected in the county if some of the museum’s renowned artwork is sold to pay off the city of Detroit’s massive debts.

A review of audio recordings from Macomb County Board of Commissioners meetings from April 2012 show that DIA officials, ultimately successful at levying a tri-county property tax to rescue the beleaguered museum, repeatedly assured the commissioners that the multibillion-art collection could not be sold off, even if an emergency manager was brought in or the city declared bankruptcy.

The promises from Detroit and its institutions come with expiry dates that kick in right after a check is cashed or a tax approved.

One can only hope that Oakland County's leaders follow Macomb's example and will not stand for their residents being payed for suckers with further wastage of county taxes bailing out Detroit's bad debts.