Versace's stolen art returned Golden Goose Sneakers to original owners

A painting stolen from a London home in 1979 which ended up in the collection of late Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace has been returned to its original owners, Britain's Art Loss Register (ALR) says.

The work by 18th century German artist Johann Zoffany had been billed as the star lot in a Sotheby's auction of the contents of Versace's Lake Como villa last year, but it was withdrawn from sale at the last moment.

A direct descendent of the subject of Portrait Of Major George Maule had contacted the ALR, which tracks lost and stolen art and antiquities, and the ALR in turn contacted Sotheby's.

"What could have been a protracted legal battle between two very well financed European families and their copious sets of lawyers has been amicably settled by the Art Loss Register's art mediation team," the ALR said.

Although the terms of the settlement https://www.goldengooseshoesit.com/ between the two families remained confidential, the ALR's Christopher Marinello said: "There is no doubt that Gianni Versace had no knowledge that this painting was stolen when he purchased it in the 1980s.

"This portrait does ... hold particular sentimental value to the ... heirs and the Versace family were extremely gracious in their willingness to compromise in seeing its return."

- Reuters