People visiting the new Jan Steen exhibition at the Mauritshuis, may notice a neat text, next one of the exhibited paintings. It explains this work was once looted; then restored to its rightful owners who then gracefully lend it to a museum.
Hopefully, some kind of closure and happy result caused by World War II.
The disputed Cranach the Elder paintings
A far less happy legal wrangle continuous.
One of the art and culture blogs I admire, included in the blog roll at the bottom of my own blog, is ARCA Blog. A recent post by contributor Lynda Albertson reports on the latest development in an ongoing legal battle.
At stake: ownership of two wonderful paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder. He painted his Adam and Eve over 5 centuries ago. The paintings are now estimated to be worth $ 24 million.
The paintings ended up at the American Norton Simon Museum, but were once owned by Jacques Goudstikker.
Wealthy Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker and his wife fled the Netherlands in great haste in 1940. He was forced to leave his famous art collection – over 1000 pieces – in Amsterdam. His collection included works by Jan Mostaert, Jan Steen, Rubens, Giotto, Pasqualino Veneziano, Titian, Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh and others.
Goudstikker did take a detailed inventory with him. He rightly foresaw, his collection would be looted. Unfortunately, he had a deadly accident on board the ship heading for America.
After the war, part of his collection was retrieved and handed over to the Dutch government. Apparently, it saw a chance to enrich its ‘national art collection’. The Dutch government refused to hand over art, once owned by Jacques Goudstikker, to his widow.
This may shock you, but it was not the only case in which the Dutch government ‘forgot’ to hand over art to rightful owners. However, journalists ensured this became the most notorious case.
Jacques’ widow fought the Dutch government up to her death in 1952. Then family members continued the fight. In 2006, when only daughter-in-law Marei von Saher remained, the Dutch government at last restored 202 paintings, most of which were auctioned.
In the case between Marei von Saher and the Norton Simon Museum, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled the museum is the rightful owner, because ‘ … the Dutch government couldn’t assert ownership of artwork it received through external restitution. …’
This ruling was challenged on Wednesday by Mrs von Saher’s attorney. For the Dutch government did finally return art to Jewish owners, including part of the Goudstikker collection.
Lynda Albertson points out a new ruling is expected, but that the decision may have ‘… broad legal ramifications for how forced sale restitution cases are heard in the US Courts. When the arguments conclude, the judges’ panel will either uphold the ruling of the lower court in favor of the Norton Simon Museum, reverse the earlier decision in favor of von Saher, or send the case back down to the lower court for trial. …”
What would Cranach have made of this?
His religious paintings are related to sin.
This and related cases of looted art seems to illustrate greed, covetousness, avarice and worse.
ARCA Blog, Lynda Albertson: An appeal that could have a strong legal significance on Holocaust-era claims in the United States
Katevents 