Latest news with #SamuelHartveld
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."
Euronews
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Tate Britain to return Nazi-looted painting to Jewish collector's heirs
ADVERTISEMENT 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 Main entrance of the Tate Britain in London Credit: Wikimedia Commons "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."
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.
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.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UK gallery to return Nazi-looted painting to heirs of Jewish collector
The Tate Britain gallery is set to reunite the great-grandchildren of a Belgian Jewish art collector with a painting looted from his home by the Nazis, officials said on Saturday. "Aeneas and his Family Fleeing Burning Troy" was stolen from the home of Samuel Hartveld after he fled Antwerp with his wife in May 1940. The artwork by English painter Henry Gibbs was one of hundreds of thousands the Nazis plundered from Jewish families during World War II. Their restitution has been a slow process, often involving legal battles and complex international searches. The return of the 1654 oil painting will mark the latest triumph for a special panel set up by the UK government to investigate such works that have ended up in Britain's public collections. The Spoliation Advisory Panel ruled the "Aeneas" painting was "looted as an act of racial persecution" and has arranged for it to be returned to Hartveld's heirs in the coming months, the UK government's culture department said. A handover date has not yet been confirmed but Hartveld's family said they were "deeply grateful." "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," the trust representing Hartveld's heirs and relatives said. The painting depicts the Trojan hero Aeneas trying to rescue his family from the burning city. It was produced in the wake of the English Civil War, when scenes of devastation and families being split up would have been familiar. The Tate collection bought the work from the Galerie Jan de Maere in Brussels in 1994, and the trust established by Hartveld's heirs launched a claim in May 2024. - Long recovery process - "It is a profound privilege to help reunite this work with its rightful heirs," said Tate director Maria Balshaw. "We now look forward to welcoming the family to Tate in the coming months and presenting the painting to them." Hartveld survived World War II but never recovered the art collection he had to leave behind. The family 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. Many artworks stolen by the Nazis were intended to be resold, given to senior officials or displayed in the Fuehrermuseum (Leader's Museum) that Adolf Hitler planned for his hometown of Linz but was never built. Just before the end of the war, the United States sent teams of museum directors, curators and art experts to Europe to rescue cultural treasures. Their efforts enabled the swift return of many of the looted works to their owners. But out of 650,000 stolen pieces, about 100,000 had not been returned by 2009, according to figures released at the Holocaust Era Assets Conference in the Czech Republic that year. Returns this century have included France's 2018 restitution of Flemish master Joachim Patinir's "Triptych of the Crucifixion" to the descendants of the Bromberg family, who were forced to sell the work when they fled the Nazis. In the same year, a Berlin museum said it had formally restituted a 15th-century religious wooden sculpture to the heirs of the former owners, a Jewish couple who fled the Nazi regime. The jewel of gothic art remains in the museum under an accord struck with the heirs. The UK's Spoliation Advisory Panel said it had received 23 claims in the last 25 years and helped return 14 works to the heirs of their former owners. lcm/jkb/gil
