Cleveland Museum of Art to Auction 32 Paintings at Sotheby's

Don't worry, according to Cleveland.com, the AAMD has blessed it as totally legit.

Earnings from the Cleveland sale will be used to buy more old master paintings for the collection....[T]he Cleveland sale is unlikely to cause a ruckus. Most of the individual works to be sold are by minor masters; few have been exhibited in recent years.

The decision to sell the 32 paintings is not, overall, a negative comment on the museum's prior buying habits. More than three quarters of the works to be sold were gifts. Of the six bought by the museum, all are considered less than important, and two have been downgraded in their attributions, or authorship.

Regardless, something tells me the anti-deaccessioning police will be all over this.

Cleveland Museum of Art to Auction 32 Paintings at Sotheby's