Robert De Niro Reclaims His Father's Artworks

By Devaki

Thursday, March 18, 2010, 10:34

Robert De Niro has reclaimed some of his late father"s artwork, after he brokered a deal with the administrators of a bankrupt New York City gallery, Salander-O'Reilly Gallery.

The owner of the gallery was alleged that he sold some of De Niro Sr.'s works to settle the company's debts. The 66 years-old actor is the executor of his father"s estate. De Niro had filed suit for this, against the gallery owner Lawrence Salander, in 2007.

The American actor has now made a deal with the trustee overseeing the bankrupt firm, in order to stop the pieces from going to auction along with other works once housed at the gallery.

He handed over an 8,750-pound cheque in exchange for six works of art by his father, who was an abstract expressionist painter and . The artwork represents half the number of the pieces, which the gallery founder Salander has been charged with stealing from De Niro Sr. The 12 works was valued at more than 625,000 pounds.

Salander declared bankruptcy in 2007. He is awaiting the trial on charges of cheating clients out of 55 million pounds.