Gallery Under Legal Fire Declares Bankruptcy

To the casual visitor, Berry-Hill Galleries would seem the picture of prosperity. Since its founding seven decades ago, it has been known as a showcase for top American paintings. And on a recent afternoon, works by masters like Childe Hassam and Edward Hopper graced the walls of its sumptuously decorated rooms in a neo-Classical town house on East 70th Street. But two weeks ago, Berry-Hill filed for bankruptcy in federal court, listing more than 100 creditors, debts ranging as high as $50 million and assets of $50 million to $100 million. And its directors, James and Frederick D. Hill, are at the center of a scandal that has been the focus of whispers in the art world since an ill-fated auction at Christie’s in May…READ MORE