Lost Portrait of JFK Widow Discovered

The painting was lost decades ago and is now the focus of lawsuit.

A painting of Jackie Bouvier that has been missing for decades has resurfaced, according to the Daily Mail in “Estate of Grey Gardens socialite sues for the return of a long-lost portrait of 19-year-old Jackie Kennedy that was found hidden away in a Hamptons art gallery.”

When Bouvier was 19 years old, she was thrown from a horse. It was uncertain if she would survive. Her father commissioned an oil painting of her to make sure a lasting memory of his daughter was preserved. The young woman did survive and went on to became one of the most recognizable and iconic women in the country, when she married John F. Kennedy.

The painting is known to have eventually been inherited by Kennedy’s aunt and cousin who lived at an estate called “Grey Gardens.” It has recently resurfaced in the hands of a New York art collector.

The heirs of Kennedy’s relatives claim the painting was stolen decades ago, while no one was at the estate. The estate of the last known owner of the painting is now suing the collector for the portraits return. However, the collector says he purchased the painting 30 years ago from a dealer who had a valid provenance for it.

Reference: Daily Mail (Feb. 10, 2018) “Estate of Grey Gardens socialite sues for the return of a long-lost portrait of 19-year-old Jackie Kennedy that was found hidden away in a Hamptons art gallery.”