Keith Haring drawing remains unsellable due to provenance issues

A Keith Haring drawing, despite being declared authentic by a Connecticut Superior Court judge, remains unsellable through major auction houses due to insufficient provenance records.

In 2018, Nevada businessman Vernon Hartung purchased a drawing of flying saucers from Martin Lawrence Galleries for $165,000. When Hartung attempted to consign the piece to Christie’s and Sotheby’s, both institutions declined, stating the documented history did not meet their specific requirements for authenticating a Haring work.

Following the rejection, the Martin Lawrence Galleries offered to sell the piece for between $20,000 and $30,000, a price Hartung rejected as too low. This led to a lawsuit alleging breach of contract and violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. While Judge Robert L. Genuario ruled in May that the drawing was authentic “by a preponderance of the evidence,” citing a 2002 letter from artist Richard Hambleton, Hartung failed to prove the gallery had breached its warranty. Consequently, Hartung lost the case and was ordered to cover the defendant’s attorney fees.