A painting stolen during World War II has reportedly disappeared after being featured in a property advertisement in Argentina. The artwork, titled Portrait of a Lady by Giuseppe Ghislandi, was displayed in an estate near Buenos Aires belonging to the daughter of a former high-ranking Nazi.
Following a police raid on the property this week, federal prosecutor Carlos Martínez indicated that the painting was not found. Instead, law enforcement seized two firearms. Martínez suggested that the situation might involve a cover-up linked to smuggling, as the newspaper Clarin reported discrepancies in the room’s layout, noting that the painting had been removed prior to the raid.
The flowered rug and nature scenes now hanging in its place led police to believe that something had been taken down. The Portrait of a Lady is among artworks from the collection of Amsterdam art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, much of which was confiscated by the Nazis after his death. Some of the works were eventually recovered after the war and displayed as part of the Dutch national collection.
Investigations uncovered wartime records indicating that the painting had been owned by Friedrich Kadgien, an SS officer associated with Hermann Göring, who later fled to Argentina. Kadgien passed away in 1979, leaving behind substantial assets, and attempts over the years to contact his daughters had been unsuccessful until the property sale provided a new opportunity for investigation into the missing artworks.
Additionally, another looted painting, a floral still-life by 17th-century artist Abraham Mignon, was seen on social media belonging to one of Kadgien’s daughters. When questioned about the artworks, she claimed she was unaware of what was being discussed. Lawyers for Goudstikker’s estate have expressed intentions to reclaim the missing painting, emphasizing the goal of restoring the legacy of Jacques Goudstikker through the restitution of the artworks taken from his collection.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn84mld1gr9o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss