A Norfolk woman who received a 16th-century stolen masterpiece as a gift has reportedly refused to return it to the museum because her husband ‘bought it in good faith’.
Barbara De Dozsa claims the painting, titled Madonna and Child, was purchased by her now deceased ex-husband, Baron De Dozsa, in 1973, according to The Guardian.
Madonna and Child, by renowned Italian artist Antonio Solario, was originally acquired by the Civic Museum of Belluno in 1872, where it remained until 1973 before being targeted by thieves who swiped several artworks.
Some of the stolen masterpieces were found in Austria shortly after the heist and were returned to the museum but Madonna and Child remained missing.
Over half a century later, the painting has now resurfaced more than 1000 miles away in Norfolk in the hands of Mrs De Dozsa, who is refusing to return it despite it being listed on police stolen art databases.
The artwork was kept at Mr and Mrs De Dozsa’s luxurious 16-century home, East Barsham Manor in Fakenham, Norfolk, where they lived together before their divorce.
It wasn’t until 2017 when it was spotted by someone linked to the Belluno museum as Mrs De Dozsa attempted to flog the historic work through a regional auction house.
The person confirmed it to be on the ‘most wanted’ lists of police forces, including Interpol and the Italian Carabinieri.
Madonna and Child, by renowned Italian artist Antonio Solario, was originally acquired by the Civic Museum of Belluno in 1872, where it remained until 1973 before being targeted by thieves who swiped several artworks
Delays caused by lockdown meant the Italian authorities could not supply the relevant documents requested by British police which meant the painting was given back to Mrs De Dozsa in 2020.
Specialist art lawyer, Christopher Marinello, has persistently tried to convince her to hand it over to its rightful owner – the museum, telling The Guardian: ‘It’s the right thing to do’.
However, Mrs De Dozsa cited the Limitation Act 1980, which states that a person who buys stolen goods can be recognised as the legal owner if the purchase was ‘unconnected to the theft’ after more than six years.
Mr Marinello said she orginally argued British police had given her a good title when they gave it back to her but after approaching the force about it, they told him ‘by no means do we convey title to the painting’.
When asked why the police didn’t just hand the stolen painting over to Italy, he said it shows the failure of law enforcement to help out the Italians.
He added British police said Mrs De Dozsa didn’t commit a crime so they were treating it as a civil case instead of a criminal one.
Conservator for Civic Museum of Belluno, Carlo Cavalli, penned a letter to her saying that she doesn’t have the title just because the painting was handed back to her.
Mr Marinello founded Art Recovery International, based in London, Venice and New York, which focuses on stolen art.
Madonna and Child is on the ‘most wanted’ lists of police forces, including Interpol and the Italian Carabinieri
He has previously recovered a Matisse painting stolen in 1987 from Stockholm’s Museum of Modern Art. Its whereabouts had been a total mystery for 25 years until it surfaced in London.
The art lawyer believes there to be moral argument for the painting’s return and highlighted that, as he has understood from her, she does not even like it enough to hang it up in her house.
He is not being paid for his work and is driven only by his opinion it belongs to Belluno, where his family originated.
Mrs De Dozsa had argued she has parted with £6,000 in legal fees to resolve the issue as well as the cost of insurance and storage.
Mr Marinello claimed he understood from her that she would return the painting if he could reimburse her for those fees.
With permission from Italian police, he sourced an insurance firm which agreed to donate the £6,000 but she allegedly had a change of heart.
He said her husband could not have paid any more more than a couple of hundred pounds for the artwork in 1973.
‘It’s only worth maybe £60,000 to £80,000 now. She refuses to cooperate unless she gets paid the full value, but she can never sell the painting,’ he added.
Mr Marinello believes no legitimate auction house would ever sell it and the Carabinieri will never take it off their database, meaning it will be seized as soon as it goes to Italy.
Norfolk constabulary told The Guardian: ‘Norfolk police have been advised by the UKCA [UK Central Authority] to release the painting to Mrs De Dozsa given several years have passed and there has been no response from Italian authorities in relation to the investigation. We have returned the painting but would not, as the police, return this in a judicial capacity in terms of awarding legal title to the painting.’
