First steal a Van Gogh and then lend it to a museum for an exhibition?
What sounds illogical and improbable is supposed to be behind a legal dispute, the focus of which is Vincent van Gogh's painting "The Novelist".
This work from 1888 can still be seen at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), where it enriches the well-attended exhibition "Van Gogh in America" as a loan.
A federal judge has now ruled that it cannot be returned after the show closes on January 22 and until its provenance is legally clarified.
Because the work could be illegally acquired property: a lawsuit was filed in the federal court in Detroit on behalf of the Brazilian art collector Gustavo Soter.
Soter alleges that the DIA borrowed the painting from an unnamed party who is not the rightful owner.
This is Soter, who, according to the lawsuit, bought "The Roman Reader" for $3.7 million in 2017, according to an enclosed invoice from a holding company in the Cayman Islands.
In 2010, the painting was auctioned at Christie's in New York for $3.1 million plus buyer's premium.
Gone with the picture for years
Soter now claims to have transferred possession of the painting – but not ownership – to a third party immediately after acquiring it.
This disappeared with the picture;
Soter didn't know anything about the whereabouts of the picture for years - until it appeared in the Detroit exhibition.
Is there a private quarrel behind it?
The first court hearing will take place on January 19.
The DIA points out that it was not accused of any wrongdoing and that it complied with all applicable regulations.