Metropolitan Museum of Art Sued for Recovery of Picasso’s “The Actor”

A complaint has been filed by the estate of Alice Leffmann against the Metropolitan Museum of Art claiming ownership of a Pablo Picasso work, “The Actor,” in the museum’s collection.

The complaint asserts the painting was owned by Paul Friedrich Leffman, a German Jew, from 1912-1938. It goes on to allege that in the late 1930s, Mr. Leffman was chased into hiding and forced to sell his art collection, including Picasso’s “The Actor,” for well below its value. The work came into the Met’s possession in 1952 and has since remained in the collection. The Leffmann estate is demanding replevin, conversion and declaratory judgment.

Tags: Art Law, complaint, conversion, declaratory judgment, Leffmann, looted, Met, metropolitan museum of art, nazi, nazi looted, ownership, pablo picasso, Picasso, replevin, restitution