Almeida & Dale, one of Brazil’s most famous galleries, was raided by police on Wednesday over the disappearance of three paintings by modernist artist Alfredo Volpi.
The São Paulo State Criminal Investigation Directorate (Deic) arrived at the gallery branch in São Paulo’s Jardins neighborhood with a search warrant for Volpi’s painting, which is worth 6.4 million Brazilian reals (approximately $1.2 million) and has been the focus of a civil dispute. The artist’s estate accuses gallery co-founder Carlos Dale of facilitating unauthorized auction in 2006 Bandeirinhas Estruturadas com Mastro no. 1996, Cinema/Mosaic, and Fachadas- 1999.
Volpi was a Brazilian modernist known for his vibrant abstract paintings who died in 1988. The artist’s estate reported that the three works were stolen in 2008.
The gallery claimed it was innocent of any wrongdoing in a statement posted on Instagram yesterday: “Nearly two decades ago, the gallery acted as an intermediary in the sale of three works by Vlopi in legitimate and well-documented transactions that preceded any judicial investigation. These transactions occurred in 2006, well before the theft reports filed by the artist’s family.”
According to the statement, Dyer was “summoned to provide clarification” regarding the three missing paintings. The gallery said Dell was named the work’s “legal custodian” at the time due to “erroneous legal guidance,” including signing the agreement without a proper power of attorney.
“Revocation proceedings are ongoing to correct this error,” the gallery said, reiterating that it never owned the works.
However, no works were seized during the raid art criticism A laptop was reportedly taken. The gallery said it acted “in good faith and in full cooperation with the justice system in favor of the truth and integrity of the nation’s artistic heritage.”
