Compromise, and a Victory for Moral Rights?

Another day, another Picasso Tricorne blog post! Right on the heels of Mira's piece on the 1709 Blog yesterday, there's a bit of hot news which Mira has swiftly transformed into this follow-up:

Four Seasons: a work of art
facing imminent destruction ...

Litigation is not the answer to everything; a settlement usually is. In this case, Aby Rosen, owner of the Picasso curtain that was threatened with destruction upon removal from its current home in the New York Four Seasons (where it has hung since 1959), has reached a happy agreement with the New York Landmarks Conservancy: Mr. Rosen has agreed to "pay for restoration, moving and reinstallation of the $1.6 million Picasso" in a new home, also accessible to the public, the New York Historical Society (as reported by the New York Post, here).

Their conflict, though undoubtedly painful, led to a valuable opportunity for many of us to consider some difficult issues surrounding artworks - the effort of balancing the interests of artists and the rights of property owners, the status of historical works in a modern context, and the validity of community and public interests in art. A happy ending for the Picasso, and, hopefully, an enriched dialogue on the protection and preservation of artworks, and a city's heritage of public art.