The family of Norman Rockwell reportedly asked the state attorney general’s office last week to stop the sale of two of the artist’s works from the Berkshire Museum’s collection. The Pittsfield, Massachusetts museum plans to sell off 40 objects to fund renovations and an endowment.
The Rockwell family formally denounced the sale of the artist’s work in August. The Berkshire Eagle reports the family has produced a letter to Norman Rockwell from 1958 containing a pledge by the museum to keep the paintings in its permanent collection.
The Sotheby’s auction, set to begin in November, is expected to fetch $68 million.
Opponents of the art sale have raised more than $10,000 and are seeking legal help. The Rockwell family is also exploring different legal options to halt the sale.
The state attorney general’s office is expected to weigh in soon about whether the auction violates charities law.
The New England Museum Association is adding a session to its annual conference in Falmouth later this month on the ethics of decommissioning art.
