The Epstein files, released by the US Department of Justice, reveal that investor Leon Black owned Van Gogh's painting Quarry near Saint-Rémy, valued at $60m in 2016. He also had one of the artist’s most expensive drawings, Garden with Flowers, then worth $25m, along with three other Van Gogh works on paper.
All seem to have been bought privately, rather than through auctions. It is only now that Black has emerged as one of the most important Van Gogh collectors of the early 21st century.
Black figures in the newly released documents because Epstein provided him with financial advice. A billionaire businessman, Black was also chairman of New York’s Museum of Modern Art from 2018 to 2021, but he did not seek re-election in the wake of revelations about his links with Epstein (although he remains a MoMA trustee).
Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor in 2008. He died in prison in 2019 in what was ruled a suicide, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Black’s appearance in the Epstein files does not imply wrongdoing. Black has previously denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with Epstein and any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. His representative had not responded to The Art Newspaper’s request for comment by the time of publication.
Leon and Debra Black at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 2018
Photo: Andrew Toth; Getty Images for the Museum of Modern Art
Quarry near Saint-Rémy (September 1889), which had earlier been owned by Las Vegas casino owner Steve Wynn, was bought by Black for $46m, probably in the early 2000s. By 2016, when it was valued by one of the major auction houses, it was worth an estimated $60m. This made it among the most expensive Van Gogh paintings to have changed hands. In 2014 Black lent the landscape to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, for its exhibition Van Gogh/Artaud: Le Suicidé de la Société.
Van Gogh’s Garden of Flowers (August 1888)
Black also owned an important large drawing, Garden of Flowers (August 1888). The work featured on the cover of the catalogue for the 2005 exhibition of Van Gogh’s drawings at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum. Black bought it for $8.5m, but by 2016 its value had rocketed up to $25m. Up until now the most expensive Van Gogh drawing sold at auction has been Sower in a Wheatfield with setting Sun (July 1888), which sold last November at Sotheby’s for $11.2m.
Van Gogh’s Roofs, Arles (March-April 1888)
Black also owned two other Arles drawings, from the artist’s finest period. Roofs, Arles (March-April 1888) was bought for $1.25m, but was later valued at $3m. He paid $2.3m for Wheatfield with Sheaves (July-August 1888), which in 2016 was estimated to be worth $7m. In addition, Black owned a copy of Van Gogh’s only etching, Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet (June 1890). Although he paid $287,000, it subsequently fell slightly in value to $250,000.
Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Sheaves (July-August 1888)
Ownership of the Van Goghs may have resided with Black alone, with his family or with one of his companies, trusts or foundations. It remains unclear whether he still owns the Van Goghs, although none have publicly surfaced at auction.
As for Epstein himself, he is not known to have owned any Van Goghs, but in 2012 he was emailed with an enquiry to ask if he was interested in the Arles work “Les Meules” (Wheat Stacks, dimensions 79.7 x 90.2cm), along with four Old Masters. The message to Epstein read: “Extremely off Market! But absolutely real transaction. I only have for this for two weeks. Qatari group will acquire after that.”
There is no known Arles painting of wheat stacks in a private collection, so the identity of the work remains unclear. Whatever it was, Epstein passed on the offer.
