Four descendants of a German woman whose possessions were confiscated by the Nazis in the 1930s sued actress Elizabeth Taylor in federal court Wednesday to recover a valuable Vincent van Gogh painting. Taylor failed to review the ownership history of "View of the Asylum of Saint-Remy" before acquiring it more than 40 years ago, according to the lawsuit. The descendants of the late Margarete Mauthner are seeking restitution and the painting, which has been appraised between $10 million to $15 million.
The plaintiffs are Andrew J. Orkin of Canada and three South African residents, F. Mark Orkin, Sarah-Rose Josepha Adler and A. Heinrich Zille. Andrew Orkin said in a phone interview that he, F. Mark Orkin and Adler are the great-grandchildren of Mauthner, who died in 1947 in South Africa at age 84. |