The Toulouse courts impurturbably reject their multiple reclamations. But in Spain where the rich British collector lived with his second wife in a castle in Extramadura they have been getting a more receptive hearing. At the start of the year, the Court of First Instance of Jerez de los Caballeros recognised that Timothy, Sarah and Teresa had rights under Spanish Law to part of the succession of their father. Celia Denney, the young widow who projects herself as unique and universal legatee of the aged photographer, is not perhaps the beautiful benefactress whom Dominique Baudis fussed over, welcoming her with rounds of ham in the Abattoirs, which are to be transformed into a Museum of Contemporary Art. This sombre affair over a succession, which bears on a collection of contempory art pictures estimated as worth many millions of Francs, might have remained a private quarrel if the Mairie of Toulouse had not imprudently decided to play one party off against the other.

In 1993 the City accepted a "donation" from the widow of twenty or so pictures. The notarial act, kept secret until the day of its signing in great pomp before the local press, declares that this present of more than 5,197 million francs is made "out of respect for the intentions of the deceased and in memory of him". One month before dying suddenly at the age of 76, Anthony Denney had expressed orally the wish to gather his collection in the future Toulouse Museum of Contemporary Art. 

Divine suprise! The pictures of the rich collector are presented by specialists in contemporary art as the veritable key to the acquisition programme led jointly for years by the FRAC  (Regional Contemporary Art Fund) and the Centre of Contemporary Art based at Labege. "Magically, but also logically, the pieces which go to make up the collection will give meaning and depth to the two existing funds" writes Jack Ligot, who for the last three years has been charged with preparing the way for the future Abbatoir museum. The widow has nevertheless only partly fulfilled these last wishes. The "donation" only relates to 70 works. 26 other paintings are to be left on deposit, subject to usufruit. The rest of the collection (70 to 100 pieces in total according to estimations) has mysteriously disappeared between the castle in Spain and the private mansion of the couple in Paris, rue des Saints-Peres (just opposite the mansion of Bernard Tapie, another lover of works of art). 

The Denney Collection was not given 

In researching the trail of this inheritance, the children of Anthony Denney have discovered some surprising irregularities: all covered up by the Mairie of Toulouse, the fortunate beneficiary of an unwritten will. Firstly, legal experts of the City wished to help the widow hide the works of art to avoid her having to declare them in Spain, Then to ease the regroupment of pictures dispersed on long term loan to different museums and galleries in various countries, the widow did not hesitate to fabricate false documents. So it was that a letter addressed to the Dallas Museum of Art came to be signed by the deceased .. four months after his death. The Mairie of Toulouse, which wishes to conserve all appearance of legality in this affair, is not put out by this. 

From Gift to Bargain 

Finally the Denney children discovered the true pot au noir of this whole story: The City of Toulouse is engaged in buying a picture from the Denney Collection (Sacco IV by Alberto Burri) for two million francs. This is no longer a donation but a bargain! With his tact, his humour and his very British style, the persistent Antony Anderson, who represents the interests of the Denney children, pointed the matter out in a letter to Dominique Baudis. He also wanted to believe that the Mayor had been misled by his entourage. But Dominique Baudis does not speak the same language. When Mr. Anderson evokes "morality" the Mayor of Toulouse replies drily by threatening  him  with a process for defamation. "The City of Toulouse, in the person of its mayor, took the decision to accept the Donation of Madame Denney in full knowledge of the facts"  he replies inscrutably.  If the Spanish Judges, seized in appeal by the widow Denney, confirm the judgement given at the beginning of the year, the Toulouse Museum of Modern Art risks being reassembled in a Castle in Spain. 
… 
Roger GICLETTE