QUICK TAKES - May 19, 2009

A battle for a 1954 Sam Francis painting at Christie’s International’s contemporary-art auction in New York on Wednesday has landed in the courts.

Gregory Callimanopulos, a shipping magnate and collector, said in a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court that Christie’s improperly reopened bidding for the painting, “Grey,” after his $3 million telephone bid was accepted by the auctioneer.

The suit claims that Christie’s later sold the painting, with a hammer price of $3.2 million, to Joanne Heyler, director and chief curator of the Broad Art Foundation, funded by Los Angeles billionaire Eli Broad.

Karen Denne, a spokeswoman for the Broad foundation, declined to comment. Milena Sales, a Christie’s spokeswoman, said, “We will not comment on this pending litigation other than to state that Christie’s acted in complete accordance with its Conditions of Sale.”