Paul Doll & His Collection Disappeared Into The Mountains 50 Years Ago

 CHRISTIE'S

A parcel-gilt grisaille enamel diptych of the seven sorrows of the Virgin and the death of the Virgin, by Pierre Reymond (c. 1513-after 1584), Limoges, circa 1540s, the case possibly 16th or 17th century. 11¼ in (27.9 cm) high, 15 in (38.1 cm) wide, 1⅛ in (2.5 cm) deep, overall open. Estimate: $50,000-80,000. Offered in Old Masters on 15 October 2020 at Christie’s in New York

In the late 1970s, a prominent New York stockbroker turned his back on civilisation and withdrew into the Appalachian Mountains. ‘It is a compelling story,’ says Christie’s senior specialist in medieval sculpture William Russell. ‘Paul Doll was wealthy, good-looking, and at the centre of New York society. Then one day he just walked off into the middle of nowhere.’ What made his disappearance all the more intriguing was that Paul W. Doll (1922-2019) was a connoisseur of medieval and Renaissance sculpture, and when he vanished, so did his museum-quality collection. [More]