Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Nazi-Looted Painting Recovered in Argentina, Ordered Returned to Heirs

An 18th-century portrait, stolen by Nazis in the Netherlands and lost for 80 years, has been recovered in Argentina and ordered returned to its rightful Dutch Jewish heirs by an Argentine judge.

The ruling marks a significant moment, potentially being the first time the Argentine justice system has recovered and restituted a Nazi-looted painting. The artwork, "Portrait of a Lady" by Giacomo Ceruti, disappeared in 1945 from a Jewish-owned gallery in Amsterdam.

The painting resurfaced last summer when Dutch journalists spotted it in an online real-estate listing in Mar del Plata, Argentina, hanging in the home of Patricia Kadgien, daughter of a high-ranking Nazi official involved in art theft.

Following the discovery, Argentine police raided the villa. While the painting and its listing had been removed, authorities seized related documents and other items. Kadgien and her husband were charged with concealment.

A deal was reached to suspend the criminal case in exchange for the painting's return to the heirs and a donation to local hospitals. The painting was part of the extensive collection of Jacques Goudstikker, plundered by Nazis when he fled the Netherlands.

While hundreds of Goudstikker's artworks remain missing globally, efforts to identify and repatriate looted art continue through initiatives like AI chatbots and museum exhibitions.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.