Latest news with #JewishBelgian
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tate Britain to return Nazi-looted painting to Jewish collector's heirs
Tate Britain is set to return a 17th-century painting to the heirs and great-grandchildren of a Jewish Belgian art collector, decades after it was looted by the Nazis during World War II. The artwork, Aeneas and His Family Fleeing Burning Troy (1654) by Henry Gibbs, was seized from Samuel Hartveld's home in Antwerp as an act of "racial persecution," according to the UK's Spoliation Advisory Panel, which investigates claims related to Nazi-era looted art. Inspired by Virgil's "Aeneid" and thought to reflect on the English Civil War, it was then acquired by Tate in 1994 from Brussels' Galerie Jan de Maere. Related New German court sparks row over return of Nazi-looted art Claude Monet masterpiece stolen by Nazis returned to rightful heirs after 80-year search "It is a profound privilege to help reunite this work with its rightful heirs, and I am delighted to see the spoliation process working successfully to make this happen," says Maria Balshaw, the director of Tate. She adds: "Although the artwork's provenance was extensively investigated when it was acquired in 1994, crucial facts concerning previous ownership of the painting were not known." Hartveld, a respected collector, was forced to flee Belgium in 1940 with his wife following the Nazi's invasion, leaving behind his cherished collection. While he survived the war, he was never reunited with his artworks, many of which are believed to be scattered across European galleries. Last year, the Sonia Klein Trust, established by Hartveld's heirs, launched a formal claim for the restitution of the painting. Following the UK's Spoliation Advisory Panel's ruling for its return, the trustees expressed their "deep gratitude," calling the decision an important acknowledgment of "the awful Nazi persecution of Samuel Hartveld."
Telegraph
29-03-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Tate to return Henry Gibbs painting looted by Nazis
Tate Britain is to return a 17th-century painting to the family of a Jewish Belgian art collector after the work was looted by the Nazis. The Spoliation Advisory Panel, which examines requests for objects taken during the Nazi era to be returned from the UK's public collections, said the 1654 work Aeneas and his Family Fleeing Burning Troy by the English painter Henry Gibbs was 'looted as an act of racial persecution'. The heirs and great-grandchildren of Samuel Hartveld would receive the work, which the art collector left behind in Antwerp as he fled Belgium with his wife in 1940, the Government announced on Saturday. Hartveld survived the war, but was never reunited with his collection of paintings. Most of the works were looted and sold by the German authorities, with Hartveld and his family receiving none of the proceeds, the panel found. Some of his artworks may have changed hands several times since 1940 and are believed to be in galleries across Europe. The Gibbs painting was bought from Galerie Jan de Maere, an art gallery in Brussels, in 1994 by the Tate collection. In May 2024, the Sonia Klein Trust, established by Hartveld's heirs, launched a claim. 'Awful persecution' In a statement, the trustees said they were 'deeply grateful' for the decision to return the painting. 'This decision clearly acknowledges the awful Nazi persecution of Samuel Hartveld and that the 'clearly looted' painting belonged to Mr Hartveld, a Jewish Belgian art collector and dealer,' they added. 'The trustees acting for the Sonia Klein Trust further thank the staff at Tate Britain for working with the trustees and their legal representative Dr Hannes Hartung, to realise the return of this important painting by a highly regarded British painter.' The Sonia Klein Trust was started in 1986 by Sonia Klein, who was previously named in a will as the daughter of Hartveld's widow, Clara, who died in 1951. Her grandchildren Barbara, Daniel and Mark Floersheimer are trustees. Maria Balshaw, the director of Tate, said: 'It is a profound privilege to help reunite this work with its rightful heirs, and I am delighted to see the spoliation process working successfully to make this happen. 'Although the artwork's provenance was extensively investigated when it was acquired in 1994, crucial facts concerning previous ownership of the painting were not known. 'I would like to thank the Sonia Klein Trust and the Spoliation Advisory Panel for their collaboration over the last year. We now look forward to welcoming the family to Tate in the coming months and presenting the painting to them.' 'Absolutely the right decision' The Spoliation Advisory Panel said the 'legal and moral claims to restitution' for the heirs of someone 'forced to flee his homeland, leaving behind his property, books and art collection, are obvious', and recommended that it should be returned. Sir Chris Bryant, the arts minister, praised the panel for 'helping to reunite families with their most treasured possessions that were looted by the Nazis '. 'The decision to return the painting to the heirs of Samuel Hartveld and his wife is absolutely the right decision, which I welcome wholeheartedly,' he added. The painting, which is not on display at the Tate, is believed to be a commentary on exile during the English Civil War. It depicts scenes from The Aeneid, a Latin poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. The independent Spoliation Advisory Panel, which began in 2000, has received 23 claims, with 14 works being returned to the heirs of their former owners. The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 allows national museums to return cultural objects, with the panel's recommendation and the arts minister's agreement.
The Independent
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Tate Britain to return painting ‘looted by Nazis from Jewish art collector'
Tate Britain is set to return a 17th century painting to the family of a Jewish Belgian art collector after the work was taken from his home during the German occupation. The Spoliation Advisory Panel, who examine requests for objects taken during the Nazi era to be returned from the UK's public collections, said the 1654 work Aeneas And His Family Fleeing Burning Troy by English painter Henry Gibbs was 'looted as an act of racial persecution'. The heirs and great-grandchildren of Samuel Hartveld will receive the work, which the art collector left behind in May 1940 in Antwerp after he fled Belgium with his wife, the Government announced on Saturday. Mr Hartveld survived the war but was never reunited with his collection of paintings, with many believed to be in galleries across Europe. The Gibbs painting was bought from the art gallery Galerie Jan de Maere in Brussels in 1994 by the Tate collection, after Rene van den Broeck purchased Mr Hartveld's collection and home for a 'paltry sum', the panel said. In May 2024, the Sonia Klein Trust, established by Mr Hartveld's heirs, launched a claim. In a statement the trustees said they 'are deeply grateful' by the decision to return it. 'This decision clearly acknowledges the awful Nazi persecution of Samuel Hartveld and that the 'clearly looted' painting belonged to Mr Hartveld, a Jewish Belgian art collector and dealer,' they added. 'The trustees acting for the Sonia Klein Trust further thank the staff at Tate Britain for working with the trustees and their legal representative Dr Hannes Hartung, to realise the return of this important painting by a highly regarded British painter. 'The staff at Tate Britain were open minded and prompt in their approval of the Spoliation Advisory Panel's recommendation.' They also said the 'trustees acting for the Sonia Klein Trust honour and remember the life of Samuel Hartveld and his family'. The Sonia Klein Trust was started in 1986 by Sonia Klein, who was previously named in a will as the daughter of Mr Hartveld's widow, Clara, who died in 1951. Ms Klein's daughter Eliana died before her death and her grandchildren Barbara, Daniel and Mark Floersheimer are named trustees. Director of Tate, Maria Balshaw, said: 'It is a profound privilege to help reunite this work with its rightful heirs, and I am delighted to see the spoliation process working successfully to make this happen. 'Although the artwork's provenance was extensively investigated when it was acquired in 1994, crucial facts concerning previous ownership of the painting were not known. 'I would like to thank the Sonia Klein Trust and the Spoliation Advisory panel for their collaboration over the last year. We now look forward to welcoming the family to Tate in the coming months and presenting the painting to them.' The Spoliation Advisory Panel said the 'legal and moral claims to restitution' for the heirs of someone 'forced to flee his homeland, leaving behind his property, books and art collection, are obvious', and recommended that is should be returned. Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant praised the panel for 'helping to reunite families with their most treasured possessions that were looted by the Nazis'. 'The decision to return the painting to the heirs of Samuel Hartveld and his wife is absolutely the right decision, which I welcome wholeheartedly,' he added. The painting, which is not on display by the Tate, is believed to be a commentary on exile English Civil War. It depicts scenes from Latin poem The Aeneid, and tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. The independent Spoliation Advisory Panel, which began in 2000, has received 23 claims, with 14 works being returned to the heirs of their former owners. The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 allows national museums to return cultural objects, with the panels recommendation and the arts minister's agreement.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tate Britain to return painting ‘looted by Nazis from Jewish art collector'
Tate Britain is set to return a 17th century painting to the family of a Jewish Belgian art collector after the work was taken from his home during the German occupation. The Spoliation Advisory Panel, who examine requests for objects taken during the Nazi era to be returned from the UK's public collections, said the 1654 work Aeneas And His Family Fleeing Burning Troy by English painter Henry Gibbs was 'looted as an act of racial persecution'. The heirs and great-grandchildren of Samuel Hartveld will receive the work, which the art collector left behind in May 1940 in Antwerp after he fled Belgium with his wife, the Government announced on Saturday. Mr Hartveld survived the war but was never reunited with his collection of paintings, with many believed to be in galleries across Europe. The Gibbs painting was bought from the art gallery Galerie Jan de Maere in Brussels in 1994 by the Tate collection, after Rene van den Broeck purchased Mr Hartveld's collection and home for a 'paltry sum', the panel said. In May 2024, the Sonia Klein Trust, established by Mr Hartveld's heirs, launched a claim. In a statement the trustees said they 'are deeply grateful' by the decision to return it. 'This decision clearly acknowledges the awful Nazi persecution of Samuel Hartveld and that the 'clearly looted' painting belonged to Mr Hartveld, a Jewish Belgian art collector and dealer,' they added. 'The trustees acting for the Sonia Klein Trust further thank the staff at Tate Britain for working with the trustees and their legal representative Dr Hannes Hartung, to realise the return of this important painting by a highly regarded British painter. 'The staff at Tate Britain were open minded and prompt in their approval of the Spoliation Advisory Panel's recommendation.' They also said the 'trustees acting for the Sonia Klein Trust honour and remember the life of Samuel Hartveld and his family'. The Sonia Klein Trust was started in 1986 by Sonia Klein, who was previously named in a will as the daughter of Mr Hartveld's widow, Clara, who died in 1951. Ms Klein's daughter Eliana died before her death and her grandchildren Barbara, Daniel and Mark Floersheimer are named trustees. Director of Tate, Maria Balshaw, said: 'It is a profound privilege to help reunite this work with its rightful heirs, and I am delighted to see the spoliation process working successfully to make this happen. 'Although the artwork's provenance was extensively investigated when it was acquired in 1994, crucial facts concerning previous ownership of the painting were not known. 'I would like to thank the Sonia Klein Trust and the Spoliation Advisory panel for their collaboration over the last year. We now look forward to welcoming the family to Tate in the coming months and presenting the painting to them.' The Spoliation Advisory Panel said the 'legal and moral claims to restitution' for the heirs of someone 'forced to flee his homeland, leaving behind his property, books and art collection, are obvious', and recommended that is should be returned. Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant praised the panel for 'helping to reunite families with their most treasured possessions that were looted by the Nazis'. 'The decision to return the painting to the heirs of Samuel Hartveld and his wife is absolutely the right decision, which I welcome wholeheartedly,' he added. The painting, which is not on display by the Tate, is believed to be a commentary on exile English Civil War. It depicts scenes from Latin poem The Aeneid, and tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. The independent Spoliation Advisory Panel, which began in 2000, has received 23 claims, with 14 works being returned to the heirs of their former owners. The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 allows national museums to return cultural objects, with the panels recommendation and the arts minister's agreement.
The Independent
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
17th century painting looted by Nazis to be returned by Tate Britain
A 17th-century painting looted by Nazis from the home of a Jewish Belgian art collector is being returned to his family by Tate Britain. The Spoliation Advisory Panel recommended the return of Henry Gibbs' 1654 work, Aeneas And His Family Fleeing Burning Troy, from Tate Britain to the heirs of Samuel Hartveld. The panel, which investigates claims for Nazi -looted art in UK public collections, deemed the painting "looted as an act of racial persecution." Hartveld, a Belgian art collector, left the painting behind when he and his wife fled Antwerp in May 1940 to escape the German occupation. Though Hartveld survived the war, he never recovered his art collection, much of which is thought to be dispersed among European galleries. The painting's return marks a significant victory for Hartveld's great-grandchildren, who are now set to receive their ancestor's lost artwork. The Gibbs painting was bought from the art gallery Galerie Jan de Maere in Brussels in 1994 by the Tate collection, after Rene van den Broeck purchased Mr Hartveld's collection and home for a 'paltry sum', the panel said. In May 2024, the Sonia Klein Trust, established by Mr Hartveld's heirs, launched a claim. In a statement the trustees said they 'are deeply grateful' by the decision to return it. 'This decision clearly acknowledges the awful Nazi persecution of Samuel Hartveld and that the 'clearly looted' painting belonged to Mr Hartveld, a Jewish Belgian art collector and dealer,' they added. 'The trustees acting for the Sonia Klein Trust further thank the staff at Tate Britain for working with the trustees and their legal representative Dr Hannes Hartung, to realise the return of this important painting by a highly regarded British painter. 'The staff at Tate Britain were open minded and prompt in their approval of the Spoliation Advisory Panel's recommendation.' They also said the 'trustees acting for the Sonia Klein Trust honour and remember the life of Samuel Hartveld and his family'. The Sonia Klein Trust was started in 1986 by Sonia Klein, who was previously named in a will as the daughter of Mr Hartveld's widow, Clara, who died in 1951. Ms Klein's daughter Eliana died before her death and her grandchildren Barbara, Daniel and Mark Floersheimer are named trustees. Director of Tate, Maria Balshaw, said: 'It is a profound privilege to help reunite this work with its rightful heirs, and I am delighted to see the spoliation process working successfully to make this happen. 'Although the artwork's provenance was extensively investigated when it was acquired in 1994, crucial facts concerning previous ownership of the painting were not known. 'I would like to thank the Sonia Klein Trust and the Spoliation Advisory panel for their collaboration over the last year. We now look forward to welcoming the family to Tate in the coming months and presenting the painting to them.' The Spoliation Advisory Panel said the 'legal and moral claims to restitution' for the heirs of someone 'forced to flee his homeland, leaving behind his property, books and art collection, are obvious', and recommended that is should be returned. Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant praised the panel for 'helping to reunite families with their most treasured possessions that were looted by the Nazis'. 'The decision to return the painting to the heirs of Samuel Hartveld and his wife is absolutely the right decision, which I welcome wholeheartedly,' he added. The painting, which is not on display by the Tate, is believed to be a commentary on exile English Civil War. It depicts scenes from Latin poem The Aeneid, and tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. The independent Spoliation Advisory Panel, which began in 2000, has received 23 claims, with 14 works being returned to the heirs of their former owners. The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 allows national museums to return cultural objects, with the panels recommendation and the arts minister's agreement.
