Foundation, Museum
Lisbon’s Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a benefactor of education, science and the arts, while the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is home to much of the tycoon’s renowned art collection. In the art world, Angela Gulbenkian appeared to encourage the notion that her name brought connections.

At one point, an assistant of hers used an @gulbenkian.foundation email address, according to Marinello. On Instagram, where she has about 2,000 followers, she identifies herself as a collector with the Gulbenkian Art Collection. Her handle is @Pantaraxia, the name of an autobiography by Calouste Gulbenkian’s son, Nubar. Until this week, the profile photo depicted a woman in sunglasses and a straw hat, holding a small white dog.

“Angela Gulbenkian is a very respected art collector,” said Astrid-Caroline Cole, a private art dealer in London. She says she sold several works to Gulbenkian. “She has a museum and foundation in Portugal,” Cole said. “Google the Gulbenkian museums!"

But the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, which oversees the museum, says there’s no connection.

“Angela Gulbenkian does not have any relation whatsoever with the foundation and, as far as we know, is married to a Gulbenkian family member who is not a direct descendant of our founder," said Elisabete Caramelo, a spokeswoman.

Told of the foundation’s response, Cole said, “I had a very positive working experience with her and cannot comment on anything different. I admit that the market is very opaque and I only have a fraction of total truth or information.”

Art Network
The former Angela Maria Ischwang grew up in Munich, where her mother runs an optometry business. She moved to London in the early 2000s and later married Duarte Gulbenkian, a soccer agent. He didn’t respond to phone messages.

After working in marketing and public relations, Angela Gulbenkian set up FAPS-Net, a private company registered in London, with art adviser Florentine Rosemeyer in 2016, according to a regulatory filing. The women were equal partners until earlier this year, when Rosemeyer left; she now operates Rosemeyer Art Advisors, registered in the suburbs of Munich.

Rosemeyer said in a statement that she put Gulbenkian in touch with contacts about the Kusama sale, had no other involvement with the deal and is “shocked” about the allegations.

Rosemeyer’s website promoted Gulbenkian’s marketing expertise, according to a screen shot provided by Marinello. “Due to her unique network and the prominence of the Calouste Gulbenkian foundation in Lisbon, London and Paris, she today brokers high end art works," the website showed as recently as May. The description has since been removed.