Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Dumpster Diver Discovers Stolen Artwork
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 23, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 23, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NY Times delved into an amazing story of how a painting left for the trash was actually a long-missing painting by Rufino Tamayo, the Mexican artist. Someone, make this into a movie!
In 2003, Elizabeth Gibson rescued the colorful, 38 1/8"-by-51 1/4" painting at West 72nd Street and Broadway. After years of trying to trace its origins, Gibson finally caught a break when a helpful librarian at the Frick suggested she go to the Mary-Anne Martin gallery - which told her the painting was "famously stolen." She built a false wall to store the painting, which was so famously stolen that Sotheby's expert August Uribe filmed a segment on Antiques Roadshow about it in 2005! From the Times:
After Googling the artist’s name, she discovered an image of “Three People” at the “Antiques Roadshow” Web site in reference to the “Missing Masterpieces” segment.
Searching the Web in May, she discovered that the episode would be rebroadcast the next day in Baltimore. She traveled to Baltimore by bus and checked into a hotel to watch the segment.
Gibson contacted Uribe and met him using a fake name and accompanied by her minister. The painting is now being sold by the original owner, who received it from her husband as a gift (the couple put it in a Houston storage facility, where it went missing in 1987). The investigation into the theft is still ongoing, and as for Gibson, she will receive the original reward of $15,000 plus what the Times calls a "smaller" fee from Sotheby's.
Tres Personajes is Lot 20 in Sotheby's Latin American Art auction, and estimated between $750,000-1,000,000. You can see the painting at Sotheby's November 17-20 (more information here). And Octavio Paz is quoted in the catalog: "How can I define my attitude to Tamayo's work? It is a thing of gyration and gravitation; it attracts me and at the same time keeps me at a distance, like a sun."
Tagged
American art
antiques roadshow
art
arts
baltimore
broadway
bus
design
houston
latin american
Latin American Art
News: NYC
ny times
people
The NY
the ny times
us
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC ambulance response times have grown 41% as life-threatening calls rise
A city comptroller’s report points to ambulance maintenance problems and low pay for EMTs and paramedics as factors contributing to longer waits.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
Mamdani and 100+ NY officials urge parking lot owners to ban ICE
The officials released a letter on Friday that asks the owners of parking lots and garages not to rent, lend or otherwise make their property available to ICE.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
Mamdani and 100+ NY officials urge parking lot owners to ban ICE
The officials released a letter on Friday that asks the owners of parking lots and garages not to rent, lend or otherwise make their property available to ICE.
By
Arya Sundaram
Federal judge tosses Trump administration lawsuit challenging NYC sanctuary laws
By
Phil Corso
2 men charged in fatal fentanyl poisoning of NYC college student, alleged rape
By
Giulia Heyward
NYC spending on homelessness has soared. So has the number of people on the street.
By
Karen Yi
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .