A man found dead following a serious boat crash in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has been identified as a prominent art dealer.
The body of Tim Klingender, 59, was pulled from the water by police about 10am on Thursday following an accident at Watsons Bay.
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It is understood a fishing trip took a tragic turn when his vessel smashed into rocks.
A second man is believed to have been on the boat at the time of the crash, but a search for the 51-year-old has been suspended.
Klingender was considered one of the world’s top dealers of Australian Indigenous art.
Gallery director Michael Reid described Klingender’s death as “unimaginable” and described how his friend had worked his way up to become a specialist in the field with connections in London and New York.
“Tim had ability, warmth, and presence, in spades,” he said.
“His funeral will be massive, as friends from just so many walks and corners of his life gather.”
Utopia Art Sydney described Klingender as a “champion of Indigenous art”.
“Tim’s enthusiasm and advocacy earned respect across the art community,” a post on social media read.
“He will be sadly missed, but never forgotten.”
Klingender helped uncover fraudster couple Pamela and Ivan Libertos, who sold $300,000 worth of forged paintings they claimed were by Aboriginal artists.
The then-head of Sotheby’s Aboriginal art section was approached by the couple in 2005 to sell a painting of a rainbow serpent they claimed was by renowned artist, Rover Thomas.
After noticing similarities between the piece and another sold by the couple a year earlier, Klingender raised the alarm and police were alerted.
Melbourne art critic Mark Holsworth said Klingender had a good reputation for ethical dealing in Indigenous art.
Klingender was the international director of auction house Sotheby’s between 1998 and 2009.
He founded Sotheby’s Aboriginal art department in 1996, touring works internationally before their sale in Australia.
– With AAP