Latest news with #Nazi-looted
New York Post
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Monumental' NYC ruling on Nazi-looted art tied to inspiration for Joel Grey character in ‘Cabaret'
The Art Institute of Chicago has likely spent more than a million dollars trying to keep its claws on a Nazi-looted drawing in a Manhattan case shaping up to be 'monumental' in the history of stolen works. The school's legal challenge to halt Manhattan prosecutors' pursuit of the swiped art backfired last month, when a judge effectively ruled the district attorney's office could hunt down such looted treasures if they ever pass through New York City — regardless of their current location. 8 This drawing, 'Russian War Prisoner' by Egon Schiele, was part of an art collection looted by the Nazis. Manhattan District Attorney's Office 8 Jewish Viennese cabaret performer and onetime owner Fritz Grünbaum was murdered in the Holocaust. New York Post Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Althea Drysdale's scathing decision against the art Institute came as the establishment has been fighting to keep a drawing by expressionist Egon Schiele titled 'Russian War Prisoner' — likely spending well more in the legal battle than the work's value. Her decision found that Nazi officials stole the work from the Viennese Jewish cabaret performer and art collector Fritz Grünbaum years before he was murdered in the Holocaust. Grünbaum served as an inspiration for Joel Grey's character in Hollywood's Oscar-winning classic 'Cabaret.' The institute did not do its due diligence in determining the work's history of ownership, the judge said. 'This Court cannot conclude that Respondent's inquiries into the provenance of Russian War Prisoner were reasonable,' Drysdale wrote in her decision. But critically, the ruling also found that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has jurisdiction to recover the art from Chicago because the work was purchased and displayed by a Manhattan gallery in 1956. The DA's office has not traditionally had to go this far in the courts to retrieve such a work. Raymond Dowd, a lawyer and stolen-art expert who is working to return the stolen Grünbaum collection to the collector's descendants, called the judge's decision 'extraordinary. '[Drysdale's] decision is monumental for the world because it says if it passes through New York City, the court will retain jurisdiction, no matter where it goes,' Dowd told The Post. 8 The Art Institute of Chicago sought to curtail the reach of Manhattan prosecutors, likely spending far more in legal fees than the value of the work itself, experts told The Post. Bumble Dee – 'There's billions [of dollars] in Nazi-looted art hidden away,' Dowd said. 'All those people sitting on that stuff are not going to be sleeping as well since Drysdale's decision.' While most institutions holding Nazi-looted work — including 12 other Schiele pieces once owned by Grünbaum — have willingly returned the art, the Chicago museum brought the biggest legal challenge yet to Manhattan prosecutors' art hunt. Experts say the Windy City art house easily blew more than the value of the Schiele drawing, estimated by the DA's office to be $1.25 million, in its challenge. 'The Art Institute fought tooth and nail for well over two years,' Dowd said. 'That's a massive thing to do, an enormous financial investment. They wanted to cut off their jurisdiction. They wanted the DA to stick to New York.' 8 Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has returned 12 Schiele paintings so far to the Grünbaum family, in addition to hunting down numerous other looted artworks. LP Media The work is being seized in place as the museum appeals the decision, the DA's office said, adding it is 'pleased' with the ruling. Drysdale's decision is already 'the talk of the town,' said art lawyer and former prosecutor Georges Lederman to The Post. In addition to expanding the DA's jurisdiction, the court ruled that ownership questions, typically a civil matter, can be brought in criminal court when 'there is evidence of theft,' Lederman said. 8 Grünbaum descendant Judge Timothy Reif (second left) and family members pose at a news conference with the Manhattan DA's Office announcing the return of another Schiele work from Grünbaum's collection. Steven Hirsch 'I think this is a warning to museums and to collectors to dig deeper,' said lawyer Leila Amineddoleh, who also teaches art law. But even in cases where 'the ethics could not be more clear,' Amineddoleh said she worries about the practicalities of such rulings. 8 While imprisoned at the Nazi's Dachau death camp, 'fellow detainees remember Grünbaum employing his trademark wit and defiance to mock his captors and the conditions that he and other prisoners were subjected to,' Judge Drysdale wrote in her decision. New York Post 'We are putting today's standards on prior acquisitions,' Amineddoleh said. 'These involve really complicated factual inquiries for scenarios that took place decades ago with very little paper [record].' But Lederman said, 'If I were an institution, a museum, I'd be very concerned at this point in time.' Bragg's office has recovered 12 out of the 76 Schiele artworks once owned by Grünbaum, an outspoken and unafraid critic of Adolf Hitler. Drysdale's ruling traces the history of 'Russian War Prisoner' from when Grünbaum lent the drawing for exhibits in 1925 and 1928 to his arrest and the seizure of his collection by Nazis in 1938. 8 Bragg's office has made the pursuit of stolen art a major focus, with a massive team of experts devoted to researching suspected looted works. LP Media Grünbaum was then sent to Dachau Concentration Camp, where he was murdered three years later. While the dealer who sold the work to the Institute in the 1960s claimed that Grünbaum's sister-in-law sold the Schiele drawing after the war, Drysdale states in her ruling that no record supports that claim. That dealer, who also claimed Nazi's never seized Grünbaum's collection, was later revealed to be a 'prominent dealer in Nazi-looted art,' Drysdale wrote. 8 Another Schiele work, 'Girl with Black Hair,' was recovered from the Allen Museum of Art at Oberlin College and valued at approximately $1.5 million. LP Media 'Despite these vibrant red flags, it appears as though the Art Institute of Chicago did nothing further to corroborate the account of a man whose credibility had directly been called into question on this very issue,' the judge said in her decision. The art institute told The Post it is 'disappointed with the ruling.' 'There is significant evidence that demonstrates this work was not looted, and previous courts have found that evidence to be credible,' a rep said.
Axios
16-05-2025
- General
- Axios
National Museum of Mexican Art to return Mayan frieze to Mexico
The National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) in Pilsen is returning a Mayan frieze to its original home in Mexico. Why it matters: There have been growing calls for institutions and collectors to return artwork that was stolen from cultures and countries, including Native American artifacts, Nazi-looted works and antiquities from the Middle East. Flashback: NMMA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mexican government in February to return a limestone panel that dates back to between 500–900 C.E., considered the Classic Period of Mayan civilization in Mexico. Zoom in: The work depicts a figure wearing an elaborate mask and headdress with hands extended as if speaking. There's a companion panel as part of the work that the museum said it is trying to locate. Zoom out: The frieze was on display at the Brooklyn Museum and a museum in Indiana in the 1970s before being purchased by the Sullivan family. Members of the family contacted NMMA after their mother died to help the family return the work to Mexico. Between the lines: The piece will be on display at NMMA for the next year before going back to Mexico City for restoration and exhibition there. What they're saying: "It doesn't matter how this work, or any other work, went out of the country. It is not for commerce," National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) director general Diego Prieto said Friday through a translator.
Winnipeg Free Press
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Doc paints gripping picture of stolen history
Art is more than just colour on canvas — it is history, identity and, sometimes, a battlefield. The Spoils, directed by Jamie Kastner, ventures into this battlefield, exploring the controversial cancellation of an exhibition honouring Max Stern, a Jewish art dealer whose collection was looted by the Nazis in 1937. At the heart of the film is the gripping struggle for restitution, a battle that continues to this day. A one-time screening of The Spoils will be held on Saturday at the Cineplex McGillivray at 6:30 p.m. Cave 7 Productions Wilhelm von Schadow's Die Kinder des Kunstlers (The Artists' Children) is at the centre of the legal and ethical storm around restitution. Through interviews with stolen-art detectives, historians and museum officials, Kastner exposes the resistance to returning stolen artworks — particularly Wilhelm von Schadow's The Artists' Children (1830), a piece at the centre of this legal and ethical storm. It is a tale of stolen history. The exhibition honouring Max Stern at the Düsseldorf City Museum was originally set to open in 2018. Yet for three years, it remained trapped in bureaucratic limbo as discussions raged over the restitution of Nazi-looted artwork. This delay revealed the deeper tensions surrounding Holocaust-era art restitution — a topic often overshadowed by other aspects of historical justice. Kastner, a Toronto-based filmmaker and writer, has long gravitated toward complex, multi-layered stories. His previous documentary, There Are No Fakes, examined the largest art fraud scam in Canada, involving legendary Indigenous painter Norval Morrisseau. That film caught the attention of journalist and academic Sara Angel, who had covered the Max Stern restitution battle extensively. She saw The Spoils as the perfect project for Kastner's investigative lens. 'When I learned about what Stern's heirs were going through, I was astounded to see how fiercely the fight for Nazi-looted art was still being waged,' Kastner explains via email. 'It wasn't a simple case — it was filled with layers of legal battles, moral dilemmas and contemporary disputes that made it dramatically compelling.' Stern, who died in 1987, was a towering figure in the Canadian art world. Fleeing Nazi Germany penniless, he was interned as an enemy alien during the war, but later rebuilt his life from nothing. His impact on Canadian art was immense — he represented sculptors Rodin and Henry Moore and gave Canadian painter Emily Carr her first major gallery exhibition. 'He was instrumental in creating a market for Canadian art when one hardly existed,' Kastner says. 'There's even a photo of him with Norval Morrisseau — the worlds of my films colliding.' Kastner faced hurdles in telling the story. Cave 7 Productions Jewish art dealer Max Stern fled Nazi Germany but became a towering figure in Canadian art world. 'The biggest challenge was gaining access to key figures in Germany,' Kastner admits. 'Some, like former Düsseldorf mayor Thomas Geisel, granted interviews immediately. Others, like the exhibition's curator, Mr. Vorsteher, dodged me for years.' Eventually, the breakthrough came when a second Max Stern exhibition was held — this time without Canadian or pro-restitution voices. The event forced previously elusive individuals to step into the spotlight, finally allowing Kastner to secure crucial interviews. Beyond access issues, The Spoils faced another challenge: making such a dense, legally complex topic dramatic and engaging. 'I worked with immensely talented collaborators — editor Michael Hannan, composer Tom Third, and my producer, Laura Baron Kastner — to craft a film that was both clear and compelling.' Is The Spoils a call to action? A historical exposé? Kastner resists narrowing the film's purpose to a single message. 'I don't make films with neatly packaged conclusions,' he says. 'I prefer thorny political, historical and moral questions that don't have easy answers.' That said, he acknowledges the film's underlying theme: justice never comes without a fight. 'It's astonishing how much debate surrounds the suffering of German Jews under the Nazis, even when we all know where it led. At the same time, these legal questions can't simply be dismissed. They're real, practical issues.' It took him four years to make the film. Production on The Spoils began in late 2019, with filming wrapping in 2023. The four-year journey was a test of patience, persistence and the ability to adapt to evolving narratives. 'We had other films in production at the same time, but this one demanded a deep level of research and engagement,' Kastner says. Cave 7 Productions Lawyer Ludwig von Pufendorf is interviewed by director Jamie Kastner. Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. This is a documentary that forces reflection. The Spoils is not just about a single art dealer — it is a microcosm of a greater historical reckoning. 'This isn't just about Max Stern — it's about the lingering ghosts of Nazi-looted art, the obstacles to justice and the uncomfortable questions that come with restitution,' Kastner says. The Spoils forces viewers to grapple with a past that refuses to stay buried. As William Faulkner wrote in his novel Requiem for a Nun: 'The past is never dead. It's not even past.' arts@
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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 government's 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, decided the painting was 'looted as an act of racial persecution'. Hartveld left the painting behind when he and his wife fled Antwerp in May 1940 to escape the German occupation. Although Hartveld survived the war, he never recovered his art collection. The Nazis seized 66 paintings from his gallery on 26 March 1942 and many of the artworks are 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, after René 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' for 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 she did 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 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. 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 the 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 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 Guardian
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Henry Gibbs painting looted by Nazis to be returned to Jewish art dealer's family
A 17th-century painting by Henry Gibbs that was looted by the Nazis and has been in the Tate collection in the UK for the past 31 years is to be returned to the descendants of a Jewish art collector. Aeneas and his Family Fleeing Burning Troy was stolen by the Nazis from a gallery in Antwerp, Belgium, after its owner, Samuel Hartveld, was forced to flee in May 1940, eight months after the start of the second world war. It will be returned to Hartveld's great-grandchildren after a decision by the Spoliation Advisory Panel, which considers claims regarding Nazi-looted artworks now in a UK public collection. The 1654 painting depicts scenes from The Aeneid, a poem telling 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 painting shows Aeneas trying to rescue his family from the burning city. Chris Bryant, the arts minister, said the return of the painting was the 'perfect example' of what the panel was intended to do – 'helping to reunite families with their most treasured possessions that were looted by the Nazis'. Since the independent panel was established by the government in 2000 it has received 23 claims, with 14 works returned to the heirs of their former owners. When Hartveld, a successful art dealer, and his wife, Clara Meiboom, fled Antwerp for New York, they were forced to leave behind treasured possessions. The Henry Gibbs painting was one of 66 in his flourishing gallery in the city. The couple's son, Adelin Hartveld, remained in Belgium and joined the resistance. He was caught and later executed by the Nazis. Hartveld and his wife survived the war, but the collector was never reunited with his paintings. Most were looted and sold by the German authorities, and some are now believed to be in galleries across Europe after changing hands several times. The Henry Gibbs painting was bought by the Tate collection from Galerie Jan de Maere in Brussels. Two of Hartveld's three great-grandchildren submitted a claim for restitution in May 2024 via a trust set up in the name of their mother, Sonia Klein. The panel's report said: 'The legal and moral claims to restitution of this painting by the great-grandchildren and heirs of Samuel Hartveld, who was forced to flee his homeland, leaving behind his property, books and art collection, are obvious. The property, library and the paintings in his gallery were looted as an act of racial persecution.' The panel said Tate had not disputed the claim, and its response had been 'open and honourable'. Maria Balshaw, Tate's director, said: 'It is a profound privilege to help reunite this work with its rightful heirs … 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.' The trustees of the Sonia Klein Trust said: '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.'
