Weis family files counterclaim in Pierre Soulages painting dispute

The heirs of Patricia G. Ross Weis and Robert F. Weis have filed a counterclaim in a New York court regarding the ownership of a Pierre Soulages painting. The legal action seeks to establish the estate's right to the proceeds from the artwork's sale at Christie's last November, which reached a total of $4.955 million.

The dispute originated in July when members of the Zeckendorf family filed a lawsuit alleging that the 1958 abstraction, ‘Peinture 161 x 200 cm, 14 novembre 1958’, was stolen between 1977 and 1980 while held in a trust controlled by the Zeckendorf family.

Representatives for the Weis estate have rejected the Zeckendorf allegations, describing them as ‘flatly false’ and ‘unfounded’. The filing further characterizes the Zeckendorfs’ initial complaint as containing ‘irresponsible and now-withdrawn allegations’ intended to attract negative press. While both parties agreed to allow the auction to proceed, the funds remain held in an escrow account pending a court decision on legal ownership.