Nazi-Looted Italian Masterpiece Discovered in Argentina, Recovery Efforts Launched
Nazi-Looted Italian Masterpiece Discovered in Argentina, Recovery Efforts Launched
A valuable Italian Old Master painting, stolen by the Nazis over 80 years ago, has reportedly been discovered hanging in a house listed for sale in Argentina. The portrait, identified as “Portrait of a Lady (Contessa Colleoni)” by Giuseppe Ghislandi, also known as Fra’ Galgario, was recently spotted by a Dutch newspaper during an extensive investigation into lost artworks.
The artwork was part of the extensive collection of Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Jewish art dealer in Amsterdam, whose entire collection was forcibly sold to Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring after Goudstikker’s death while fleeing the Nazi invasion in 1940. While many pieces were recovered after World War II, this particular portrait remained missing, listed by the Dutch culture ministry as “unreturned.”
The breakthrough came when the Dutch newspaper AD, investigating the whereabouts of artworks once owned by Nazi official Friedrich Kadgien, stumbled upon the painting in an online property listing for a house near Buenos Aires. Art historians have since indicated that the composition, dimensions, and colors strongly suggest it is the authentic Ghislandi masterpiece.
Following the discovery, a US lawyer representing the Goudstikker estate confirmed that heirs are committed to making every effort to recover the work. Marei von Saher, Goudstikker’s 81-year-old daughter-in-law, has vowed to continue her decades-long search to restore her late father-in-law’s legacy and retrieve every stolen artwork.
This discovery marks a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to repatriate art looted during World War II, bringing renewed hope to families still searching for their lost heritage.
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