More on the Upcoming Auctions

Bloomberg’s Linda Sandler outstrips CultureGrrl today in extracting more detailed information about the amounts of Sotheby’s and Christie’s guarantees in its evening sales.
She reports that Sotheby’s guarantees for tonight’s sale total $93 million. Christie’s, for tomorrow night’s sale, has granted guarantees totaling $165 million, Sandler reports.
But buried in her story is a potential bombshell:
[Andrew] Lloyd Webber’s foundation was temporarily barred from selling the Picasso [“Angel Fernández de Soto,” estimated to bring $40-60 million at Christie’s] after a German collector said it was forcibly sold to the Nazis, the BBC reported today. Alex Jackson-Proes, a spokeswoman for the foundation, said in a telephone interview the matter will be heard in a New York court today at 11 a.m.
My guess is that if there’s any evidence that this is more than just a crank prank, the sale will probably have to be postposed. But with this painting so prominently owned and displayed for so many years, why did this come out just now?
If the fingernails of Christie’s officials look considerably shorter tomorrow night, you’ll know why.