Sale of El Greco painting previously owned by Romanian royal family blocked until June

The sale of the San Sebastian painting by the Spanish artist El Greco, a work of art that was part of the collection of the Romanian Royal Crown, will remain blocked until the end of June, following legal debates between lawyers representing Romania and Christie's auction house, finance minister Barna Tanczos told Profit.ro.

The block is part of the Romanian state's legal action to recover the painting.

The case also saw the involvement of fugitive royal Paul of Romania, who filed a lawsuit in New York to claim the painting. Romania’s Finance Ministry represents the country in the case.

"As long as ownership has not been definitively decided, our interest is in blocking the sale, and we have managed to do this. The sale is blocked until the end of June. This decision was made following the action taken by Romania's lawyers at the auction house. The block has also been notified to the courts handling the ownership claims, and we are awaiting a court decision on this matter,” said Tanczos Barna.

The minister added that Romania has brought new elements to the case and that there are chances of recovery, even though similar actions from decades ago were unsuccessful.

“If we had no chance and saw no opportunity to recover the painting, we wouldn't be in court," he said.

While the duration of the trial cannot be estimated, the minister expressed optimism.

El Greco’s San Sebastian was part of the collection of the Romanian Royal Crown and later came into the possession of King Michael. Previous public reports suggest he sold the masterpiece to a major Franco-American art dealer.

The painting was subsequently acquired through Giraud Pissarro Segalot by its current owner in 2010. Its worth is now estimated to be between USD 7-9 million.

Paul of Romania, who is also claiming the painting, fled Romania in 2020 and settled in Paris. He was convicted in a case regarding the illegal restitution of real estate near Bucharest, which authorities stated he claimed without legal merit. He was sentenced in Romania to three years and four months in prison, but his lawyers argued that the criminal charges against him were politically motivated.

Last year, Romania's request for