Introduction to the Stolen Painting
A painting stolen by the Nazis has disappeared after being discovered in an advertisement for an Argentine real estate property. The painting, "Portrait of a Lady" by Giuseppe Ghislandi, was found hanging over a sofa in a house near Buenos Aires. The house was being sold by the daughter of an elderly Nazi who had fled Germany after World War II.
The Discovery and Raid
The painting was discovered after a Dutch journalist, Peter Schoute, reported on its reappearance. The journalist had been investigating the long-lost work of art and found it in an advertisement for the Argentine property. After the discovery, a prosecutor, Carlos Martínez, raided the house, but the painting was nowhere to be found. Instead, two weapons were confiscated, and the prosecutor suspects a cover-up.
The History of the Painting
The "Portrait of a Lady" belonged to the collection of Amsterdam art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. The Nazis violently sold most of his collection after his death. Some of the works were recovered in Germany after the war and are now part of the Dutch National Collection. The location of the Ghislandi painting had been unknown for over 80 years.
The Nazi Connection
The painting was owned by Friedrich Kadgien, a SS officer and senior financial advisor to Hermann Göring. Kadgien fled to Argentina in 1945, where he became a successful businessman. He died in 1979, but a US file contains a line that suggests the painting still had value. The newspaper that investigated the story made several attempts to contact Kadgien’s daughters in Buenos Aires but was unsuccessful.
The Search for the Missing Painting
The search for the missing painting made progress when one of Kadgien’s daughters put the house up for sale. The painting was found in an advertisement for the property, and the journalist reported on its reappearance. Another looted work of art, a floral still life by Abraham Mignon, was also discovered in one of the sister’s social media posts.
Efforts to Recover the Painting
Goudstikker’s lawyers are making efforts to recover the painting. The heir to the Goudstikker collection, Marei von Saer, said that her family aims to bring back every single work of art that was robbed from the collection. She has already recovered 202 pieces in 2006. The family is determined to restore the entire collection and is working to regain the stolen painting.
