Stolen Degas painting found at auction
A painting by celebrated master Edgar Degas has been found at a New York auction nearly 40 years after being stolen from a French museum, France’s culture ministry said.
Sotheby’s removed Blanchisseuses Souffrant des Dents (Laundry Women with Toothache) from its impressionist art sale after France alerted the auction house that it belonged to the Louvre Museum in Paris, ministry officials said, confirming information first reported in La Tribune de l’Art website.
Dating from around 1871-1873, the work was stored in 1960 at the Havre Museum in Normandy, from where it was stolen in 1973.
It features two views of a young, brown-haired laundress at work, one with her clutching a bottle, with her mouth open and a hand behind her neck.
In its auction catalogue Sotheby’s estimated its value at between $350,000 to $450,000.
A member of the Havre museum recognised the work as he was rifling through the Sotheby’s catalogue, the ministry official said. “We contacted Sotheby’s which agreed to withdraw it from the auction,” the official said.
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Lady Gaga is haunted by a ghost
London: Pop singer Lady Gaga feels that she is being haunted by an “annoying” ghost named Ryan and is petrified by his constant presence.
The Bad Romance hitmaker believes that the spirit follows her across the world and has held a seance over the weekend in Ireland in an attempt to get rid of the presence, Contactmusic reported.
“She’s been telling us all for months that she has a male spirit called Ryan who travels the world with her. She’s pretty terrified by this spirit, but more than anything he’s annoying her as he won’t leave her alone. He’s hasn’t been doing anything too violent or scary but she’s freaked out by his presence. She’s a very spiritual person and in tune with the spiritual world but this is a step too far, even for her,” a member of her touring crew said.
—PTI
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