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Restitution of the Gonzalo Eguiguren Gallery to the San Ignacio Church, in Bogotá
GONZALO EGUIGUREN GALLERY, advised by CALIOPE ART LAW, RESTORES TO COLOMBIA A VICEREGAL WORK BY GREGORIO VÁSQUEZ DE ARCE Y CEBALLOS
Calíope Art Law has handled a voluntary, non-profit restitution case for a panel looted from a church in Bogotá in the 1980s, which the gallery acquired in good faith at a public auction. Upon examining the piece, expert Adrián Contreras Guerrero discovered it was one of the missing panels from the altarpiece of the Jesuit church of San Ignacio. The restitution ceremony took place on October 23, 2025, and was a very moving event. Jesuit priest Santiago Tobón attended the Gonzalo Eguiguren gallery in Madrid to receive the panel on behalf of the church. This is an exceptional case, considering the gallery's ownership was entirely secure and legal, and the financial loss for the gallery owner, who had invested resources in the piece. However, he is filled with pride at being able to repair the damage caused after so many years.
Photo caption: Adrián Contreras Guerrero, Gonzalo Eguiguren, Father Santiago Tobón Grajales and Laura Sánchez Gaona.