Picasso’s painting “The Actor” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York holds a complex history that few are aware of. In 1938, German Jewish businessman Paul Leffmann sold the painting to escape the Nazis. Laurel Zuckerman, representing Leffmann’s heirs, shared that the family survived, but not all members did. The heirs have fought for the painting’s return, claiming it was sold under duress due to Nazi persecution. Despite two American courts ruling against them, other cases are seeing a shift in favor of returning looted art to rightful owners.
An Amsterdam museum returned a Matisse painting, “Odalisque,” to the heirs of Albert and Marie Stern, acknowledging it was sold under duress as they tried to escape but tragically perished in concentration camps. The French Parliament recently passed a law expediting the return of looted art to families. David Zivie, leading France’s efforts to research and return Nazi-era art, emphasizes the importance of acknowledging history and helping families reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
Elizabeth Campbell, a history professor, notes a growing political will to address the restitution of looted art. She highlights new guidelines recognizing that art sold during the Nazi era was likely done under coercion. With more countries adopting similar policies, restitution efforts are gaining momentum. In the aftermath of World War II, thousands of stolen artworks were recovered, but many pieces remain in limbo, awaiting rightful ownership determination.
In Paris, provenance researcher Ines Rotermund-Reynard works to unravel the Nazi-era past of art at the Musee d’Orsay. The French government’s commitment to clarifying ownership issues reflects a collective desire to address historical injustices. The case of Armand Dorville has sparked a dispute between the French government and his heirs, who seek to reclaim their family’s lost art. The emotional significance of recovering these artworks is profound for the heirs, symbolizing a connection to their past and their lost loved ones.
Eighty years after the fact, a museum in North Carolina has returned one of Dorville’s paintings to the family, while a German museum has also returned a piece by the impressionist Camille Pissarro. However, the French government is steadfast in its refusal to relinquish more than half a dozen paintings currently housed in public museums, citing that the auction of these artworks was not conducted under duress. Falk expressed understanding of the difficulty in returning the paintings, but emphasized the importance of doing what is right. The family sought the legal expertise of Paris lawyer Corinne Herschkovitch, a seasoned professional in recovering art for Jewish families over the course of three decades. She criticized the authorities responsible for cultural heritage, emphasizing their prioritization of preserving art over the well-being of the Jewish people. When asked about the potential shame felt by museum directors in possession of these artworks, Herschkovitch confirmed their embarrassment. The heirs of Dorville are resolute in their fight to reclaim their family’s history. Falk acknowledged that while retrieving the paintings back into the family is a step towards healing, the bad history associated with their loss can never truly be erased, as family members had perished due to these events. Kahn stressed the importance of preserving the family’s memory, which had been forgotten over time, and expressed a duty to bring this story to light.Â
For further information on this subject, refer to “Museum Worthy: Nazi Art Plunder in Postwar Western Europe” by Elizabeth Campbell, available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio formats through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. Key figures and resources include Elizabeth Campbell, a History professor at the University of Denver, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the French Ministry of Culture, lootedart.com, the Art Restitution Cases by the Monuments Men and Women Foundation, as well as the Nazi-Era Provenance Research conducted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This story was curated by Mikaela Bufano with editing by Brian Robbins.
Additional resources:
– The real-life story of the Monuments Men and Women (“Sunday Morning”)
– Efforts in rescuing Nazi-looted art (“Sunday Morning”)
– The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Nazi-era art dispute involving Germany
– The FBI’s return of a painting stolen by Nazis to its Jewish owner’s heirs
– Discovery of a significant collection of art looted by Nazis in a German apartment
– Arrest of a woman accused of holding her stepson captive for over two decades
– Incidents of captivity and escape in a Connecticut room, sparking a fire for liberation
– Key details about the impending government shutdown as the funding deadline approaches
