Frenchman Alleges The Met Improperly Acquired a Cézanne
A lawsuit filed by Frenchman Pierre Konowaloff in a Manhattan federal court on December 7 alleges that he is the rightful owner of an 1891 Cézanne painting included in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The plaintiff claims that the work, Madame Cézanne in the Conservatory, was stolen from his great-grandfather. The Met said in a statement Wednesday that its ownership of the painting is secure.