Pollock Painting Owned by Steve McQueen Sparks Legal Battle

The late Steve McQueen was many things — a talented actor, a competitive driver and a style icon among them — but it turns out he also had something of an eye for art. Unfortunately, the legacy of his art collection — or at least one painting from it — has led to a legal fight between the actor’s granddaughter and an Alabama lawyer. At the heart of the case is a Jackson Pollack painting, which ARTnews‘ Francesca Aton reports is worth $68 million.

The Mirror‘s Tom Bryant was the first to break the news of the lawsuit. As he reports, Molly McQueen filed a lawsuit against attorney Brent Borchert, arguing that the painting that Borchert inherited from his parents actually belongs to the late actor’s estate. The younger McQueen contends that Borchert’s parents were traded the painting for a house and a motorcycle, which they did not deliver to the elder McQueen — thus voiding the arrangement.

Complicating matters further is the fact that all of the original participants in this potential swap have died, making it all the more challenging to determine what actually happened.

“I talked to my mum once and asked, ‘What’s the deal with the Jackson Pollock painting?’ And she said, ‘Your father made some sort of deal. I wasn’t there for it,’” Borchert told The Mirror. “It was a quick conversion but I recall that she may have mentioned something about a motorcycle and the house. It’s all very hazy.”

Two Upcoming Auctions Showcase Steve McQueen’s Enduring Legacy

McQueen’s watch and car from “Le Mans” are both heading to auction

Steve McQueen’s legacy has been in the spotlight in other ways in recent years, including via the release of a McQueen-inspired boot from Red Wing Shoes. As Dee DePass reported at the Minnesota Star Tribune, Molly McQueen was also involved in a promotional campaign that emphasized the boots’ durability and ability to last for literal generations.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…