Framed
IT is a bit rough on Sotheby's to put them in the frame just because some nondescript picture has wandered out of Italy, as pic- tures always have. The same sort of thing happened to Dotheboys, when their Italian agent came across a Giorgione in an attic in Venice. How could they hope to get a export licence for it? No problem, said the agent — we'll have a modern abstract painted on top of it, and get a licence for that, ship it to London and then you can send it to the cleaners. So the abstract was safely delivered to Dotheboys' office in Pond Street and was hurried round to the restorers in a plain van. The next thing Dotheboys got was a fax message: 'Have removed modern abstract. Have removed Giorgione. Have reached portrait of Sophia Loren. Instructions, please.'
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