The New York Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the heirs of sculptor Alexander Calder against the estate of the artist’s longtime dealer, Klaus Perls. Justice Shirley Werner Kornreich said that “All these allegations are so patently inadequate that the court can only conclude that they were brought solely for the purpose of harassment or embarrassment.”
The original lawsuit was filed in 2010 and stated that for over three decades, Perls had carried out an elaborate scheme to collect millions of dollars from 15 unauthorized sales of works by Calder. The majority of the sales took place between 1976 and 1988, meaning that the statute of limitations for litigation had long expired, further weakening the heirs’ case. In addition, the Alexander Calder Foundation, which was established by the artist’s heirs in 1987, had been notified of seven of the sales.
Calder’s descendants were asking for $20 million to settle the case.
