02-05-2025
Egon Schiele's "Russian War Prisoner" stays at Art Institute of Chicago, for now
A New York judge ruled recently that Art Institute of Chicago has to surrender a hotly contested artwork that the Nazis allegedly looted, but an appellate judge issued an emergency stay this week, allowing the artwork to stay in Chicago, for now.
Catch up quick: Fritz Grünbaum was a Jewish Austrian cabaret singer and art collector who had dozens of works by Egon Schiele, including a piece called "Russian War Prisoner."
Grünbaum was murdered at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, and the Manhattan District Attorney's office alleges Nazis stole his art collection.
But AIC says Grünbaum's sister-in-law inherited the collection, and "Russian War Prisoner" was sold to a series of galleries before the museum purchased it in 1966.
What they're saying: "There is significant evidence that demonstrates this work was not looted and previous courts have found that evidence to be credible," museum spokesperson Megan Michienzi told Axios in a statement. "We have been granted a stay, allowing the work to remain in our custody while we continue exploring our options for appeal."
Zoom in: "Russian War Prisoner" is not currently on display at the museum and is estimated to be worth about $1.25 million.
Zoom out: Several museums, including the Museum of Modern Art and Carnegie Museum of Art, as well as private collectors, have returned Schiele works to Grünbaum's heirs after the DA's office tracked them down.
