A collection of nearly 200 pieces of artwork by Hunter Biden was destroyed in the devastating wildfires currently sweeping across Los Angeles, as reported by The NY Post. These controversial works had been stored in the vicinity of the Pacific Palisades home of Hunter’s Hollywood attorney, Kevin Morris, and are valued at “millions of dollars,” according to a source familiar with the Biden family.
Morris, who provided Hunter with a loan of nearly $5 million to settle a tax obligation and has been funding a documentary about him, resides in a large five-bedroom, six-bathroom house. This home is one of the few still standing amidst the fires in the exclusive area, as confirmed by The Post.
As the fires intensified last week, President Biden commented that his son’s Malibu residence, located nearby, may still be intact. “Today, it appears that it’s still standing. They’re not sure.”
A representative for Hunter Biden, who pursued art after recovering from substance abuse issues, did not immediately respond to requests for a statement. Georges Berges, a Soho gallerist who previously exhibited Hunter’s work in New York and Los Angeles, revealed that he severed ties with Hunter last year. “I don’t know what’s happening with the art,” he said. “I have some of his work on canvas, some metal pieces at the gallery.”
Hunter’s artwork has been valued as high as $500,000 per piece, though Berges clarified to The Post that most of the works were priced closer to $85,000.
Morris spent $875,000 on pieces from Hunter’s collection through Berges, with many of the works depicting flowers on Japanese paper, according to the gallerist. During a congressional investigation into the Biden family’s finances last year, Berges testified that Hunter was familiar with most of his buyers, contradicting the White House’s earlier claims that the identities of the art purchasers would remain confidential to prevent potential conflicts of interest involving the president.
Alongside Morris, another buyer named Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali was reported to have acquired pieces both before and after receiving a significant presidential appointment.
Recently, Hunter Biden received a controversial pardon from his father regarding charges related to gun possession and tax evasion.
{Matzav.com}