(WXYZ) — A Court of Appeals judge ruled that “The Novel Reader,” the work that’s been at the center of an international legal battle over its ownership, should remain at the museum as the case works its way through the court system.
RELATED: Court of Appeals order Detroit Institute of Arts to keep Van Gogh's 'The Novel Reader' painting
The Detroit Institute of Arts had the work on loan and doesn’t claim to own it. It was just here for the Van Gogh in America exhibit which ended on January 22. Now, via this order, the museum must hold on to it for now.
In an earlier ruling, the judge sided with the museum saying that federal law protected the work from being seized. So, it remained at the DIA through the end of that exhibition.
But it wasn't clear what would happen next, as a Brazilian Art Collector claimed he owns the painting.
In the original suit, his attorneys say a third party took off with the painting after the collector purchased it in 2017. For the museum’s part, they say they checked an international database for lost or stolen artwork, which is protocol, and “The Novel Reader” wasn’t listed.
