Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 8 : Pressclippings, 1977-1981

Nude value By DAVID TICKELL She site there serenely in the Queensland A r t Gallery with not • stitch on, but • pensive s m i I e ocro11 her face. The smile ,ould •ulle "'ell be because s he kno,rs !ihe is ,..orlh nearly $1.5 mil– lion, and with the c,urrenl contro,•er,;;y o v e r the proposed •urcha s e ol the Fr e n c h paiDtln,r, Grand Nu, !llhe's won• d erln,r whether they'll be p11ll.lnc htr up rer bids. The lady In que•• lkln 15 La Belle llol• lnnchlse (plchored) by Pablo Plt..sn, and "'"" palnled In 1005, II "'as bouchl al Solhebys In IA>ndon for ! 55,000 In 1958, hy l\lnJor llnrold De \ 1 11hl Rubin :and presentrd IA> the slntc :Ls a ~lrt. It •·a., valued at Sl50,000 In 1967, · he le: :ranh 21; J u i e 19·:7 o n e intere~h•tl art Jo,·cr thinks Jt Is neu the S1.5 mllllon mark, 1'1r Brlun S\\ ttny, a m ember or the Aus– lr'alla Council, said tha t \\ Ith Inflation and lhe appr<'t'lallon of ,·a lm1ble works of art I.a &•tie's ('urrent value t•oulcl be h igher tha n ~1.5 million. \\ 1 h «- n s he w:.u houi: ht l.:1 Hr lle ,-e. l'Ol'flcd lhc hlll,hest price e,·r r paid at that lime for a 11\'lng :irt• lst.'s work. BRISBANE solicitor ond ort patron Russell Cuppaidge hos pledged o $25,000 gi~ to the Queensland Art Gallery, l\l r. c up p 11 l<I Ke p re s e 11 , e d on lnltlnl cheque for S10.000 to the ga!lerr )'cstcrdn)', . The re, ~ of the donill 1011 will be mndc m er the nt'xt. t h rce years. Q ue<'ll'-IR i:d Art. Ci1d· lcrv c111·cc•tor , :'\fr. Rrto11I 1\1 ·111, h , srt!cl: "This t, one f the llltljUI' CA.Sil gifts mude to the glll• lerr ." The ~n IIN)' has used the ptrt to C'lllhlUl he Russel l c 11 ppnldge F1111ct, wh .rh ,, 11 be 11:: d to bur nrt ,, rks. t:111>p:tlchi."', n 1 n fo rmer