Buyers sue London's Alison Jacques gallery over cancelled sale of Monica Sjöö paintings
Yoed and Natasha Anise’s first-ever art purchase unravelled after the artist’s estate allegedly decided they are not sufficiently serious collectors
Two investors, Yoed and Natasha Anise, are embroiled in a legal dispute with London-based gallery, Alison Jacques, over the cancellation of their planned purchase of three paintings by Swedish artist Monica Sjöö. The Anises, who reside in Austin, Texas, and Stockholm, had acquired the paintings on October 6, 2023, for £264,000, a 20% discount from the asking price of £330,000.
After a dinner with Sjöö's relatives to celebrate the opening of her retrospective at Modern Art Oxford, the gallery informed the Anises that the estate had rescinded the sale. The Anises claim that the cancellation was due to their remarks at the dinner, in which Natasha Anise stated she had never bought art before, and may never buy it again.
Alison Jacques asserts that the Anises were misled by their art adviser, Marie St Germain, who shared too much about their personal lives and emotions, making the gallery uncomfortable. St Germain and the gallery allege that the Anises intended to use the paintings solely for decorating their children's bedrooms, which they considered unwise due to the fragile condition and unprotected display of the artworks.
The gallery also claims that St Germain misled a gallery employee, stating that the Anises were "beginning to collect" and had the potential to become significant supporters for the artist, rather than just wanting to decorate their homes. The Anises, however, maintain that their intention was to loan the works to museums for exhibitions, as stipulated in their contract.
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