LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.- Sisters Eva Glaser and Erika Tauber, a family of Viennese Holocaust survivors, have been searching its looted artworks for almost 60 years and now have clues. The problem now is that auction house Christie’s is blocking any information to them alleging confidentiality agreements that are intrinsic to the private art business.

 

An appraiser hired by Christie’s auction house believes he saw the painting in the home of a client, but Christie’s refuses to disclose that person’s identity, leaving the sisters frustrated and leading to a court battle.

 

Eva Glaser, 79, said: "If you saw someone stealing something from your neighbor’s house, wouldn’t you have to say what you saw? Wouldn’t you want to?"

 

Christie’s lawyers say the auction house has done all it can to help. It contacted the collector and informing him that the painting’s ownership may be at issue.

 

Christie’s officials stated: "While in no way underestimating the seriousness of the claim, we are not in a position, without the consent of the owner, or an order from the court, to disclose his identity or the location of a work of art. It still seems to us that a balancing of competing interests has to take place in situations such as this, and if agreement cannot be reached, a court of competent jurisdiction will have to adjudicate."