Getty troubles ripple through the art world

Boosters hoped it would silence skeptics who regarded Los Angeles as a cultural wasteland.

But while the museum has generated international acclaim, it also has attracted an international investigation.

In May, a judge in Rome ordered True tried on charges that she allegedly helped the museum acquire, between 1986 and the late 1990s, about 40 archaeological treasures stolen from private collections or dug up illicitly. They include a stone sculpture representing Aphrodite and a marble statue of Tyche, the goddess of fortune, that both are more than 2,000 years old.

The charges surprised those who have considered True, 56, a pioneer in advocating for greater scrutiny of the provenance, or ownership record, of antiquities.

“She has been known to take the aggressive stance, instilling in everyone that they should only be acquiring established and well-documented objects,” said Thomas, the art law expert.

Under True’s leadership in 1995, the Getty was among the first museums to publicly detail a stricter policy for the acquisition of antiquities. In 1999, the Getty returned three pieces to Italy, including a fifth century B.C. drinking cup.

Questions about antiquities bound to arise
Antiquities are one hallmark of the museum, which also houses paintings, drawings, decorative arts and photographs. When the villa in Malibu reopens in January following a six-year, $275 million renovation, it will be dedicated to the display of about 1,200 pieces from the extensive antiquities collection.

At the reopening, museum officials hoping to spotlight the ancient objects may instead hear whispers.

“People will wonder,” Thomas said. “They are going to look at those pieces and say, ’Are these some pieces that are questionable?”’

Italian prosecutors charged True with criminal association and receiving stolen goods. The case follows a 10-year investigation centering on Italian art dealer Giacomo Medici, who was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison for conspiracy in international trafficking of antiquities. He remains free pending appeal.

Along with True, Robert E. Hecht Jr., a Paris-based American art dealer, has been charged. Their trial is scheduled to begin Nov.

16. True has denied the charges, and Getty officials have said publicly they have no evidence of wrongdoing.

A recent Los Angeles Times investigation, citing internal documents, reported that Getty lawyers have determined that half of the 104 artifacts the museum identified as masterpieces were purchased from dealers now under investigation for selling stolen artifacts.

Getty officials declined a request for an interview and True did not return messages seeking comment. Her lawyer in Rome said True did not want to comment other than to assert her innocence. “Mrs. True wants to keep the trial in court, the only setting in which the truth can emerge,” attorney Francesco Isolabella said.

True stepped down earlier this month after museum officials determined that she violated policy by failing to report details of her purchase of a vacation home on a Greek island. True reportedly secured a $400,000 loan for the home with help from one of the institution’s main suppliers.

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