The second part of the Darius Vâlcov collection, which includes works signed by important names in the world of art, will be auctioned on April 23 by the A10 by Artmark Auction House. ANAF aims to recover the damage of over one million euros established in the „Paintings Case”.
No less than 118 artworks – more than three times the amount in the first auction – are now up for sale. Among them are, for the first time, works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Andy Warhol, and Pablo Picasso.
The auction will take place at the Cesianu-Racoviță Palace in Bucharest and online, and the artworks can already be viewed in the exhibition, with free entry.
First Renoir Painting Traded in Romania
The centerpiece of the auction is the painting "Baigneuse" (approx. 1890), signed by Renoir, with a starting price of 80,000 euros. It is the first time that a work by the artist is being auctioned in Romania.
The artwork belongs to the late period of the painter and reflects his mature style, blending influences from the Italian Renaissance with the Impressionist technique. The painting has previously been part of important collections in France, including that of the dealer Pierre Cornette de Saint-Cyr.
Warhol, Before Pop Art, and the Studio 54 Atmosphere
Another significant core of the auction consists of works by Andy Warhol, including sketches from the series "In the Bottom of My Garden", created before his consecration in pop art.
Also included are works from the 1980s, such as the silkscreen "Some Men Need Help", as well as period photographs from the famous Studio 54 parties. The selection also features a portrait of his friend, writer Victor Hugo.
Picasso's Painted Ceramics and Pre-Columbian Artifacts
The auction also includes pieces of painted ceramics created by Pablo Picasso in the 1950s, after his move to southern France. These include "Cavalier et cheval" (1952) and "Picador et Taureau" (1953), with starting prices of 6,000 and 2,000 euros, respectively.
The selection is complemented by pre-Columbian artifacts – statuettes from the Colima and Chupícuaro cultures, as well as a Marajoara funerary vessel dating between the years 800 and 1400, starting at 4,000 euros.
The auction also includes works by renowned Romanian artists such as Nicolae Grigorescu, Theodor Aman, and Nicolae Tonitza, as well as modern and contemporary artists like Victor Brauner, Jules Perahim, and Ștefan Câlția.
Artworks Confiscated in the "Paintings Case"
The auction is taking place as a result of the forced execution initiated by ANAF to recover damages from the "Paintings Case", in which former PSD minister Darius Vâlcov was convicted of money laundering.
According to investigators, Vâlcov allegedly purchased the artworks with illegally obtained funds, and some of them were found hidden – in plasterboard walls, safes, or even buried in a cemetery.
In total, 172 art objects and gold bars were confiscated. The collection was assembled over approximately a decade, including acquisitions from international auctions such as Sotheby’s or Christie’s.