UT wants iconic Farrah Fawcett portrait

Guardian:

The portrait of Farrah Fawcett hanging over his bed made another lover uncomfortable so Ryan O'Neal gave it to the Charlie's Angels star, but two decades later it's back on his wall – and he's the one squirming.

O'Neal goes on trial this week for allegedly purloining the Andy Warhol portrait of Fawcett in a case expected to showcase celebrity sex, lies and silkscreen.

The University of Texas is suing O'Neal on the grounds that Fawcett bequeathed her art to her alma mater, which already has a twin portrait of Fawcett by Warhol hanging at its Blanton Museum of Art.

It said the case, due to begin in Los Angeles on Wednesday, was not about obtaining a piece of pop art valued somewhere between $500,000 to $10m, but about respecting the wishes of Fawcett, who died of cancer in 2009 at 62.

"We simply want to honor and respect the charitable intent and wishes of Farrah Fawcett," UT's vice-chancellor for external relations, Randa Safady, said in a statement. "It is indisputable that in Ms Fawcett's living trust, she named the University of Texas at Austin as the sole beneficiary of all of her works of art, including artwork she created and all objects of art that she owned, for charitable purposes."
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The case will turn on whether O'Neal can persuade the court that Fawcett gave him the painting first.  His case is hurt by the fact that it was at her home when she died and he went over there and took to his place.

I remember seeing a photo of Fawcett in the UT Daily Texan in a competition for the 10 most beautiful and I thought she was an easy winner.  She later decided to go to California and market her talents out there.  I would like to see the portrait in the UT collection at some point.