ART

The Republic of Haiti, seeking to recover assets allegedly stolen by deposed dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier and his associates, has obtained a court order placing a temporary hold on seven crates of rare Haitian art. Washington, D.C, Superior Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan signed a temporary restraining order Monday preventing the paintings from being removed from a warehouse. The paintings, including the works of Hector Hyppolite, one of Haiti’s most important artists, were acquired by Claude Auguste Douyon, Baby Doc’s former private secretary, with some of the $1.3 million in government funds he allegedly stole before fleeing the country, according to court papers.