Blaquier-Arrieta paintings head to Sotheby’s amid scrutiny of collection’s origins

Sotheby’s is due to auction 12 rarely seen paintings from the Blaquier-Arrieta collection in New York, with Van Gogh and Cézanne works expected to attract exceptional prices. The sale also draws attention to allegations against former Ledesma sugar company head Carlos Pedro Blaquier, whose wealth helped fund the collection and who was accused of involvement in unlawful detentions during Argentina’s military dictatorship.

The article says about 400 people were seized during the 1976 “Night of the Blackout”, most of them Ledesma workers; up to 55 remain missing and are presumed murdered. Blaquier was charged in 2012 over 29 cases, but the proceedings did not reach trial before his death in 2023, and he maintained his innocence. Van Gogh’s *Châtaigniers en fleurs* is estimated at about $180m, above his current $117m auction record, while Cézanne’s *Arlequin* may also set a record.