A judge has ruled that Seagram Building owner Aby Rosen cannot remove Picasso tapestry "Le Tricorne" from a wall of the Four Seasons Restaurant until the court issues a final ruling on the future of the art. Rosen planned to take down the work so that a team of structural engineers could repair the wall on which it hangs. But the New York Landmarks Conservancy, which owns the tapestry, filed an injunction last week to stop the removal of the fragile piece of art.
During the court hearing, Justice Matthew Cooper said: "We're not talking about wallpaper. We're not talking about a poster. We're talking about an irreplaceable Picasso...It's part of New York's social and cultural fabric." According to court papers, Rosen had called the work a "shmatte," the Yiddish word for "rag." Peg Breen, the president of the NYLC, believes that Rosen wants to remove the tapestry so that he can put up another, more modern piece of art. Le Tricorne's ultimate fate remains up in the air, but it's safe for the moment.
· Judge Bars Moving Picasso Painting From Four Seasons [NYP]
· Previously: Four Seasons Picasso to be Removed From Hallway [~ENY~]
[Photo: The Four Seasons]