The Tamesis
The newly released Jeffrey Epstein dossier contains a 51-page document that lists a series of masterpieces that appear to belong to Leon Black. Leon Black was a major art collector and businessman whose dealings with Epstein were well documented.
The document does not mention Black, a MoMA trustee and former board chairman. His ties to convicted sex offender Epstein came to light in 2021, leading him not to seek re-election as chairman. At the time, several prominent artists called for him to be removed from the board entirely. But it does state that the artworks — created by artists ranging from Michelangelo to Picasso — belong to entities labeled “Narrows” and “AP Narrows.” this new york times It has been previously reported that Narrows Holdings and AP Holdings are corporate entities operated by Black.
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The document, dated 2017, contains many of the artworks listed in another document containing Sotheby’s 2013 valuation. Documents for the Sotheby’s appraisal list the institutions that managed some of the artworks with Blake. By cross-referencing these museum websites, art news It was determined that the artwork in question was owned by Black.
For example, a file containing a list of valuations for 2013 sentinel (1961), a sculpture by abstract expressionist artist David Smith. It was valued at $8 million at the time and was partly owned by MoMA. On the Museum of Modern Art’s website, the sculpture is listed as a promised gift from Blake and his wife, Debra, both of whom are frequently seen in art news List of top 200 collectors.
The document also lists Archangel Gabriel announces the birth of Christa painting created by the Dutch painter Lucas van Leyden in the 1520s. Reportedly valued at $4.5 million by Sotheby’s in 2013, the van Leyden piece is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which also lists the work as a promised gift from Leon and Debra Black.
Many of the works listed in the document have not previously been publicly linked to Blake, although the works have previously been found on their respective museums’ websites. If the document is accurate, it could provide insight into one of the richest art collections in the United States — much of which has remained hidden from the public. The full text of the 2017 document is reproduced at the bottom of this article.
The artworks listed in the 2017 document are a who’s who of Western art history, ranging from Italian masters like Leonardo da Vinci and Pontormo to Dutch old masters like Rembrandt. Among them are modernists such as Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondrian, as well as post-war icons such as Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock.
One of the most valuable works listed here is by Paul Cézanne, promoted as part of his beloved “Black Castle” series. The 2017 filing does not include a year for the artworks, making it difficult to tell which work is referenced, but other related works are owned by MoMA and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The piece was said to be worth $50 million at the time and was listed as owned by Narrows.
Also listed here is a double-sided painting by Michelangelo titled resurrected christ. It’s apparently valued at $25 million and is also said to be owned by the Narrows. Other entries included a work by Kazimir Malevich said to be worth $50 million, a work by Constantin Brancusi said to be worth $40 million and a work by Claude Monet said to be worth $45 million.
At least one work on the 2017 list was sold during the period in which this document was produced. Work by Wassily Kandinsky entitled Auburn and Linkswhich appears on this list and is dated March 19 of that year, has an estimated value of $6 million. Reported by Katya Kazakina, May 17, 2017 Bloomberg Black was the seller of a 1925 painting of the same name at Christie’s, which sold for $8.3 million.
Blake’s attorney declined to comment.
Black and Epstein were both work partners and friends, with Epstein providing financial services to Black, who was then CEO of Apollo Global Management, an investment firm he later left. Previously released documents show that Epstein also participated in Black’s attempts to purchase art, and even allegedly contacted Gagosian to purchase a Picasso for him.
Black has previously tried to downplay his ties to Epstein, but he agreed to pay the Virgin Islands government $62.5 million in 2023 to resolve all Epstein-related legal claims.
“As has been publicly reported, Mr. Black retained and paid legitimate financial consulting services to Jeffrey Epstein, and based on everything currently known, he deeply regrets doing so,” a lawyer for Black said at the time. “Consistent with settlements with other major U.S. banks, Mr. Black resolves potential claims by USVI arising from the unintended consequences of these payments. There is nothing in the USVI settlement to indicate that Mr. Black was aware of or participated in any wrongdoing.”
