Mondex Settles Legal Dispute with Heir Over Fees for $24m Chagall Painting
Mondex Corporation, a Toronto-based firm specializing in the restitution of art looted during the Holocaust, has settled a lawsuit with a former client regarding the fees for the restitution of a $24m Marc Chagall painting from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
Mondex investigates art that may have been seized by Nazis during World War II, helping potential heirs make restitution claims on the works. Founded in 1993, Mondex has a 97% success rate in restitution cases.
In April 2020, Mondex facilitated the return of Chagall’s “Over Vitebsk” (1914) from MoMA to heirs of Galerie Matthiesen shareholders. The painting had been in MoMA’s collection since around 1949. The heirs paid $4m to the museum in exchange for the work, creating the Franz Matthiesen Fund for Nazi-era provenance research.
A lawsuit was filed against Franz Matthiesen in February 2021 for not following through on the deal, which was settled in April 2022. The painting was later sold for $24m.
Matthiesen was contacted by Mondex in 2018 to recover art from Galerie Matthiesen. He later discovered a possible claim to “Over Vitebsk,” leading to negotiations and eventual restitution.
The lawsuit shed light on the discreet deal-making involved in art restitution. Mondex and Matthiesen disagreed on various aspects of the restitution case, leading to the lawsuit.
The legal documents revealed disagreements on handling the case and involvement of third parties. The lawsuit was settled out of court, with details remaining private.
MoMA did not provide any comments on the case or the $4m payment for the Franz Matthiesen Fund.
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Cillian O’Rourke, studied at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland, where he majored in Visual Communication. His work spans graphic design, illustration, and branding, with a distinct minimalist style that emphasizes simplicity and impact. Cillian has collaborated with international brands and runs his own design studio focusing on creative solutions for startups.