Jackson Pollock Painting Found In Sofia Belonged To Ceausescu's Collection - Reports

An uncatalogued painting by American abstract painter Jackson Pollock found in Bulgaria during an international operation against smuggling was part of former Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu's private collection, Bulgarian media reported on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2023) An uncatalogued painting by American abstract painter Jackson Pollock found in Bulgaria during an international operation against smuggling was part of former Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu's private collection, Bulgarian media reported on Wednesday.

The counter-smuggling operation was conducted under the aegis of Europol in Sofia, Athens and on Crete in order to neutralize an organized crime group. Bulgarian law enforcement officers reportedly found the painting, which has Pollock's signature in the upper right corner, during a raid.

Sources close to the matter said that the fact that the painting belonged to the former Romanian leader was identified thanks to the stamps in Romanian on its back, according to the Bulgarian National Television. Ceausescu, who was Romania's supreme leader for over 20 years, was toppled as a result of a people's revolution and shot, together with his wife, on December 25, 1989.

Deputy Prosecutor of Sofia Desislava Petrova said that the art piece was painted for Hollywood actress Lauren Bacall's birthday and originally belonged to her, according to the 24 Chasa newspaper. This information is written on the back of the canvas. The actress sold the painting in 1958, after which it came to Romania, then to Greece, and then to Bulgaria.

A Sofia resident, from whom the painting was confiscated, reportedly said he was not planning to sell the work of art, since he was not sure of its authenticity, and kept it behind a cupboard.

The painting was handed over to experts of the National Art Gallery in Sofia, sources told the Bulgarian National Television. The examination confirmed that this was an uncatalogued work by Pollock, which dates back to 1949. According to the experts, the auction price of the painting could reach 50 million Euros ($53 million). The 24 Chasa newspaper specified that this was a preliminary assessment and the painting would need to be further examined by international experts.

Later in the day, a Bulgarian restorer said that the complete examination of the work's authenticity, including a chemical examination and the preparation of an expert report, could take up to a year and require international cooperation.

"We cannot conduct the examination of the painting in Bulgaria since there are no analogues in our country. It is necessary to have the material to which this one could be compared," Emil Chushev was quoted as saying by the Bulgarian National Television.

Paul Jackson Pollock, 1912-1956, was an American painter and a major figure of abstract expressionism. He was famous for his "drip technique," which involves splashing paint on a canvas. Pollock had a significant impact on the art of the second half of the 20th century.