From Deseret News archives:

Stolen art — BYU searches the world to recover pilfered pieces

Published: Sunday, June 22, 2008 12:10 a.m. MDT
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PROVO — Thirty-nine years ago this week, New York City art dealer Dion O'Wyatt swindled Brigham Young University out of a sketch by French impressionist painter Claude Monet and a drawing by American artist Winslow Homer.

On June 20, 1969, a BYU art collection manager allowed O'Wyatt to take the drawings back to New York for authentication because the dealer said he was interested in purchasing the pieces.

O'Wyatt did authenticate the Homer drawing, but he also hired a street artist to forge both pieces of art. He removed the originals from their frames and sold the drawings to Hammer Galleries of New York City. Then O'Wyatt placed the forgeries in the frames and personally delivered them to BYU on June 30, 1969.

The forgeries remained undiscovered for 16 years amid BYU's poorly protected art collection until new managers ordered an inventory in 1986. They were shaken to find that thieves, predatory art dealers and even previous donors had plundered more than 900 pieces of art.

The losses were calculated 23 years ago at $4 million to $6 million.

But this isn't a tale of thievery. Instead, it's a story of recovery. Some remarkable police work allowed BYU to reclaim the Monet sketch and Homer drawing from separate owners 19 years after the forgeries were switched for the originals.

Story continues below
And last year, after many years without a success, an international organization helped BYU recover another important work, this one a painting by a grandson of Brigham Young.

· · · · ·

Recovering art stolen 25, 30 or 40 years ago is difficult for many reasons, including the fact that most of the pieces were quickly sold and have since been resold to private buyers who had no idea they were buying something that belonged to BYU.

"The bulk of our art went to Europe and was laundered there," BYU Police Lt. Arnie Lemmon said. "Ten years later, it started to bubble up again, after being sold two or three times between good-faith purchasers."

Lemmon has tracked the university's art around the world and has recovered about 60 pieces so far. He learned about one painting when it was put up for auction by Christie's in Beverly Hills. A minister had bought the painting for $15,000, but he had to surrender it to BYU.

Recent comments

>BYU is reknown for being cheap

"Reknown," like known again?

Or...

Spelling counts, even in art. | June 25, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

I was a student Assistant Gallery Director in the HFAC during the mid...

kiaoraguy | June 24, 2008 at 6:25 p.m.

Great reporting on a fascinating story...one that is still ongoing.

Ross | June 24, 2008 at 5:22 p.m.

Image

Brigham Young University Police Lt. Arnie Lemmon, with the recovered painting "Port Washington Point, Long Island, NY," by artist Mahonri Young.

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