Sotheby's refuses to return, or has lost, a painting by the Renaissance painter known as Parmigianino, the family that owns it claims in Federal Court. The family's representative claims Sotheby's took the painting "Rest on the Flight Into Egypt," from a New York studio in 2005 "for evaluation and/or authentication," and has refused to account for it or return it, despite repeated demands.

Plaintiff Giancorrado Ulrich, of Milan, says he is sole representative of the family that owns the painting.

Parmigianino - Francesco Mazzola, 1503-1540 - was an Italian Mannerist painter.

Ulrich says Sotheby's Senior Vice President and Director of Old Master Paintings Christopher Apostle arranged to have the painting taken from Marco Grassi's New York studio in 2005.

Ulrich says Grassi inquired about the painting in 2007 and this year, and Apostle "assured Mr. Grassi that the painting had already been returned to him."

Ulrich says it's not so - that neither Grassi nor he has the painting, that Sotheby's has it or lost it. He says that the "release slips" that Sotheby's claims prove they returned to painting are not signed by Grassi or Ulrich, and appear to refer to another painting, called "The Holy Family."

Ulrich is represented by Gena Zaiderman with Sanders Ortoli.