To Sell or Not to Sell

3 months ago · < 1 minute read

Do you think private collectors should be allowed to own or sell priceless antiques? The answer is surprisingly bogged down in legal mire. Different countries have various laws, but it’s hard for authorities to agree on what counts as an antique that should be available to the public. One particular case has made the news: that of an original Leonardo da Vinci drawing.

A French man who has stayed anonymous has been fighting a court battle for years for the right to sell a da Vinci drawing that he inherited. Seven years ago, he filed for an export license (something required by the French government to sell items deemed of ‘national importance’) so he could sell the drawing at an auction house.

Initially, France declined to give him one, saying it was a national treasure. The Louvre offered the man almost $11 million to buy the drawing and display it there, thus keeping it in France. Likely The Louvre hoped to attract more visitors with it. The owner turned down the offer and had the drawing appraised.

The appraisers valued it at over $15 million, although The Louvre did not offer more. The man again applied for an export license in 2021 and one of the French ministers accused the owner of having stolen the artwork. She demanded evidence that the drawing was legally obtained. Presumably, she hoped that, without evidence, the country could take possession of the drawing without recompense.

For the past two years, he has been fighting in court to prove that the drawing was legally inherited and to be granted an export license. He finally won the court case, although it remains to be seen if France actually allows him to sell the drawing.