Secret Nazi-Looted Baroque Masterpiece Uncovered in Argentine House Sale Photos—Is This the Art World’s Biggest Breakthrough?
Imagine stumbling upon a priceless 18th-century painting just chilling above some random sofa in Argentina—sounds like a plot twist from a detective novel, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened when Dutch reporters, after hunting for nearly a decade, finally spotted Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi’s Portrait of a Lady hanging in a house listed for sale in Mar del Plata. This painting, swiped by the Nazis from Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker during their 1940 invasion of the Netherlands, had been MIA for over 80 years. It apparently passed from Hermann Göring’s clutches to a high-ranking Nazi official, Friedrich Kadgien, who took it with him after fleeing to South America post-WWII. Now, with the sole surviving heir eager to reclaim her family’s lost treasure, one can’t help but wonder—how many other priceless artworks are lurking in plain sight, tucked away in suburban living rooms around the world? Buckle up, this art recovery saga is far from over. LEARN MORE
Portrait of a Lady by Giuseppe Ghislandi was taken from a Jewish art dealer living in the Netherlands named Jacques Goudstikker in 1940, then held by senior Nazi official Friedrich Kadgien, who fled to Argentina after World War II.
Robles Casas & CamposThe photo from the house listing that features the stolen painting, Portrait of a Lady by Giuseppe Ghislandi.
An 18th-century painting stolen by the Nazis during World War II was just rediscovered after it was spotted in photos of a house listed for sale in Argentina.
The painting, Portrait of a Lady by Italian baroque artist Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi, was one of more than 1,100 seized from Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker by the Nazis during the invasion of the Netherlands in 1940. Other pieces from Goudstikker’s collection were later recovered, but Portrait of a Lady remained missing for more than 80 years.
The painting was finally located by Dutch reporters who had spent years tracking it down. Now, Goudstikker’s sole remaining heir is hoping to finally get her father’s painting back.
The Rediscovery Of Portrait Of A Lady In An Argentinian Real Estate Listing
Cultural Heritage Agency of the NetherlandsA photograph of Portrait of a Lady.
Dutch investigative reporters for Algemeen Dagblad (AD) spent nearly a decade looking for Portrait of a Lady. The team eventually began looking into Friedrich Kadgien, a high-ranking Nazi and SS member who served as Hermann Göring’s financial advisor.
Göring was one of the many Nazi officials known to have taken some of the artwork in Goudstikker’s collection. And at least two pieces owned by Goudstikker, including Portrait of a Lady, were believed to have passed from Göring to Kadgien.
Reporters have spent the last several years trying to piece together the story of Kadgien’s life after World War II. They knew he had made it to South America after the war, and historical documents show that he brought diamonds, jewelry, and two stolen paintings across the Atlantic with him.
He died in 1978, leaving his property at Mar del Plata to his two daughters. AD sent their Argentina correspondent, Peter Schouten, to the house, but even though someone’s shadow was visible inside, no one came to the door. However, Schouten then noticed a “for sale” sign in the garden, and looked up the listing online when he returned to his hotel.
“We were scrolling through the photos when my husband suddenly said, ‘Look, isn’t that the painting?’” Schouten told ABC News. “I told him, ‘No, that can’t be true. The Dutch government has been looking for this painting for 80 years … it can’t just be hanging above a sofa in Mar del Plata.’ But there it was.”
The newspaper then sent the images from the real estate website to the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), which affirmed that the painting in the house really was Portrait of a Lady. While the agency is certain of the painting’s legitimacy, it cannot confirm that it is definitely the stolen painting without examining it in person.
“According to post-war declaration forms, we know that Kadgien possessed this painting,” said Annelies Kool, a researcher for the RCE. “Given that he fled to Argentina after the war and we now see it hanging in the living room of his daughters, we assume it has remained within the family for the past 80 years.”
The Dutch newspaper also received additional photos of the painting displayed inside the home from an undisclosed source.
Jacques Goudstikker’s Sole Remaining Heir Will Fight To Get The Painting Back
Wikimedia CommonsA solider standing amongst artwork stolen by the Nazis in 1945.
AD reached out to Kadgien’s daughters via email, Instagram, and Whatsapp, but to no avail. In one instance, one of the daughters responded asking what the reporters wanted, then promptly blocked them after telling them she was busy.
The real estate agency Robles Casas y Campos has since removed the photos containing the painting and the property listing from their website.
Now, Goudstikker’s only heir, daughter-in-law Marei von Saher, is hoping to recover the painting.
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