A long lost painting looted decades ago in Nazi-occupied Europe has been recovered in Argentina, officials have said. The Portrait of a Lady, by Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi, had been missing for 80 years before it was spotted last month on an estate agent's website, where a photo showed it hanging in a house that had belonged to the daughter of a Nazi fugitive.
Patricia Kadgien's late father, Friedrich, had been a top adviser to Hermann Goering, Adolf Hitler's deputy, who plundered thousands of works from across Europe. Prosecutors said the artwork had now been returned by the lawyer of Ms. Kadgien, who was under house arrest after a search of her property initially failed to find the painting.
Ariel Bassano, an art expert who worked on the case, described the painting's condition as good for its age and valued it at around $50,000. Ms. Kadgien and her husband face serious charges for allegedly obstructing the investigation that followed the discovery of the painting.
The artwork was identified online as part of the collection of Amsterdam art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, whose possessions were forcibly sold by the Nazis after his death. This incident highlights broader issues regarding the restitution of artworks lost during the war, as the heirs of Goudstikker aim to recover from various locations artworks that were stolen from his collection.
With this recovery, further investigations are underway to uncover additional stolen pieces linked to the Kadgien family.
Patricia Kadgien's late father, Friedrich, had been a top adviser to Hermann Goering, Adolf Hitler's deputy, who plundered thousands of works from across Europe. Prosecutors said the artwork had now been returned by the lawyer of Ms. Kadgien, who was under house arrest after a search of her property initially failed to find the painting.
Ariel Bassano, an art expert who worked on the case, described the painting's condition as good for its age and valued it at around $50,000. Ms. Kadgien and her husband face serious charges for allegedly obstructing the investigation that followed the discovery of the painting.
The artwork was identified online as part of the collection of Amsterdam art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, whose possessions were forcibly sold by the Nazis after his death. This incident highlights broader issues regarding the restitution of artworks lost during the war, as the heirs of Goudstikker aim to recover from various locations artworks that were stolen from his collection.
With this recovery, further investigations are underway to uncover additional stolen pieces linked to the Kadgien family.
