Iran gallery reveals secret Western art stash

Tehran’s Museum of Contemporary Art is to unveil a series of masterpieces by western artists that have been hidden in basements since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran. Image by dynamosquito / CC BY-SA 2.0

The works were banned by leaders as symbolic of decadence and excess and many have not been on display for 40 years. Among the 42 artworks now on show are pieces by Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon and Rene Magritte. There are still some nudes in the collection, including Renoir’s Gabrielle With Open Blouse that have not been deemed acceptable for exhibition by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Read more: telegraph.co.uk