Culture Ministry loses trial over a bust by Bernini

Last week, the Bratislava district court reversed the decision of the Culture Ministry regarding the bust of the Pope Paul V. The statue was a part of the Slovak artist Ernest Zmetak heritage that was sold by the SOGA auction house for a few thousand EUR. The buyer addressed the top world auction house SOTHEBY's for an expert analysis that confirmed the bust was made in the studio of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a famous Italian sculptor of the 17^thWhen the fact was revealed, the Slovak Culture Ministry cancelled the permission for transporting the bust abroad. Last week, the Bratislava District Court confirmed that the French buyer provided the Culture Ministry with the Sotheby's analysis in his application for exporting the bust abroad. The Slovak Culture Ministry issued a ban on exporting the bust due to the fact that a Slovak Justice Ministry expert was not called in question. According to the court, the Ministry was supposed to address a suitable expert ahead of permitting the bust being exported abroad. Currently, this artwork is owned by the Getty Museum Los Angeles which bought it for 30 million US dollars.